


How To Train Your Dragon Scenarios

by autopsies



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Preferences, Reader Insert, Scenarios, idk man there's probably gonna be more tags later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2018-10-23 20:04:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10726266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autopsies/pseuds/autopsies
Summary: A bunch of scenarios involving the characters from How To Train Your Dragon. Likely with tidbits of headcanons and things of the like sprinkled in.Will add more characters on request.Also on Quotev and Wattpad.





	1. How You Met

**.: Hiccup :.**

The reason you decided to go to Berk was no secret - you wanted to know if the rumors were true. You wanted to find out for yourself, to see with your own eyes, if these people had really found a way to tame dragons. You soon discovered that you wouldn't even have to visit the island to get the proof you needed. Even from a distance you could see the winged beasts flying through the air. Peacefully, not shrieking and spitting fire as you were used to. It was a sight unlike anything you had ever seen.

And it only gave you more of a reason to press on.

When your boat reached the shore of Berk, you hardly waited for it to be safely docked and anchored before jumping onto the rickety wooden pier. You tried not to run - to not be overly excited and dart up the pathway leading to the town - but every hurried step you took made it increasingly obvious just how giddy you were. There was no way you could have gone unnoticed, and your eagerness caught the eye of the chief. That, and the fact that you were a new face, and a fair bit younger than most of the traders and other visitors that passed through the area

"And who might you be?" The sound of a thundering voice stopped you in your tracks. You turned to see the source, and found yourself face to face (or, face to chest, really) with a towering man. Who may have been more intimidating than all the dragons flying about.

"Oh. (Y/N). I'm just, uh, visiting. I heard about the whole 'dragon' thing and wanted to see if it was true." You gave far too much information, and you were  _painfully_  aware of it. But what else are you supposed to do when someone that imposing puts you on the spot?

\- - -

He was the chief. And it was his son who had trained the dragons.

Neither of those things surprised you.

However being lead through the village by him in order to meet his son? That was a little off putting. But he was full of such pride it was hard to feel awkward, even after he called his son over from the group the boy was chatting with, just for introductions.

"(Y/N), I would like you to meet Hiccup." The man, Stoick, gestured to  the auburn haired boy beside him.

"Hey." You tried your hardest to act casual, like you weren't thrilled to be meeting the person who you had heard so many stories about. "It's good to meet you. The whole dragon training thing is... Pretty impressive."

"Oh! Uh. Why thank you." He grinned sheepishly. "It wasn't easy, but it's been worth it. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if I never met Toothless."

"Toothless?"

"He's a Night Fury. My Night Fury, more specifically... Wanna meet him?"

" _Absolutely_."

**.: Astrid :.**

You and your friends had been on Berk for roughly five days, and were getting more than eager to leave. Sure, the people were interesting, and the whole dragon thing was pretty exciting, but you had other places to be. Other less cold, gloomy places. The only issue was getting the ship repaired, and that was proving to be more of a challenge than any of you anticipated. In the meantime, you were staying with a family you had come to know as the Hoffersons. They were pleasant, and quick to treat you like one of the family. Part of you wondered if that's because their daughter was off on some important mission with her friends, and they were looking for some way to help make the house feel less empty.

So there was a bit of concern when you woke up one morning to the sound of an ecstatic Hofferson household, shouting about  _something_. Although your limbs pleaded with you not to move, curiosity got the best of you and you pulled yourself out of bed and down the flight of stairs into their living area.

There stood blonde girl, bearing a striking resemblance to the Hoffersons - that daughter they mentioned, you assumed. She was prettier than you expected, looking far too good to have just gotten back from a week long mission. Meanwhile you had just crawled out of bed and even though you couldn't see what you looked like, you had a pretty solid guess. That guess being "a disaster".

"Oh! (Y/N)!  Come here, come here!"

You flinched at Mrs. Hofferson's enthusiasm and slowly shuffled over to the group.

"Hey." You managed, attempting to be social to mask how much you wanted to just curl up and sleep for the next month and a half straight. "You must be Astrid, right?"

"That would be me." She smiled, crossing her arms and giving you a look that left you with the creeping feeling that she was sizing you up. Or maybe she was just confused about who you were and why you looked like a zombie, and were living in her house now. "Do I know you?"

Okay it was the latter.  _Much less threatening_.

"Nah. My friends and I... Our ship got kinda murdered by a storm a few days ago." You yawned. "Your parents are letting me stay here until it gets repaired."

"Oh. That's... Not good..."

"It's pretty awful. But your parents have been great... How was that whole mission thing?"

" _Ugh_. Don't even get me started."

**.: Snotlout :.**

You weren't sure why you agreed to take am apprenticeship all the way on Berk, but a good motivating factor there would probably be that your village completely lacked any form of healer and nobody else seemed to be willing to bite the bullet and take the job. So, for the sake of a secure job and the well being of your clearly incompetent home, you traveled to Berk to learn under an elderly woman named Gothi.

It was your third day on the job when you first encountered Snotlout Jorgenson. Or, as you knew him at the time, that really panicked brown haired guy who  _wouldn't stop screaming._ His jaw was crooked, hanging open and locked in place. But that was no excuse for the constant terrified squawking.

"So... What exactly happened here?" You asked, while Gothi stared at him looking rather unamused. Your expression would mirror her own if you weren't so desperately trying to prove you were compassionate and capable enough to do this job.

He attempted to say something while pointing at his face, however it was completely incoherent.

"Right. Can't really talk.... Uh..."

You leaned forward slightly. placing your hand on his chin and turning his head so you could get a better look at the situation. "It looks like you just dislocated it." You looked over at Gothi. "Got any fancy ways to fix this? Or should I just... try and pop it back into place...?"

Gothi simply pointed her staff at you, and nodded.

The boy somehow appeared even  _more_ distressed. He uttered a sound that vaguely resembled "have you done this before", to which you simply replied, "It can't be too hard, right?"

You'd seen your friend's mother do this for her once back home. It seemed pretty straight forward.

You placed your hands on his jaw, feeling up by his ears to figure out where exactly it was supposed to fit into place. You braced yourself, well aware that this could go disastrously wrong.

But with one swift motion and a quick pop, you had it in place.

"Did it work? Can you like... Move it?" You asked, a little terrified to know the answer, as you removed your trembling hands from his jaw.

He opened his mouth, closed it again, and then opened it once more to speak. "Little sore, but better. You're pretty good at this whole 'healing' thing."

"Well thank you. I actually just recently started so, good to know I've got potential."

"Really? Hey, if you ever need someone to practice on..." He arched a brow  slightly, and you couldn't help but giggle.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll manage."

"That's fine... I still need to thank you for putting that back in place though. How about a tour of the island? You're new here, right?"

"Yeah, b-"

"Great! So what better way to get to know Berk than on the back of a dragon?"

You weren't even sure how to reply to that. What you were sure of was that you almost preferred his indecipherable shrieking.

**.: Ruffnut :.**

There were a lot of ways you could have spent a cold, Tuesday night.

Being stranded on a seemingly uninhabited island?  _Not_  exactly the most tempting of those options.

But there you sat, stuck on your own by some makeshift driftwood fire, with a soggy half-useless bag of supplies at your side. You couldn't even find yourself a proper shelter despite the rocky cliffs looming above the shoreline. Your only option was to stay awake until sunrise, or fall asleep out there in the open and simply hope that you wouldn't freeze to death or be killed.

 _Killed_  - that word filled you with a new sort of terror, when you saw a shadow looming in the sky above. Whatever it was, it had wings. It was huge. It was  _rapidly approaching_. As it let out a shrill cry, you jumped to your feet and began to run. To where? You weren't sure. Anywhere you feet could carry you would do. And as quickly as possible would be even better, as you heard the sound of the creature landing on the sand several yards behind you.

"Wait!" A girl's voice cried out, and you glanced over your shoulder. There was a young viking girl, climbing off the back of a -

Your foot caught on _something_ , and you went falling forward, wind knocked out of your lungs. You laid there on the ground, unmoving. There really wasn't a point to getting up. Everything was awful and now you were just confused. But there wasn't any thought that needed to be put into playing dead. It  was far less stressful than your other options.

"Woah! You alright?"

Apparently there was a boy there too. Good to know.

You didn't really say anything, and simply rolled over onto your back. You were greeted with two faces staring down at you. Your instincts nearly made you jump, but they were stifled by the overwhelming exhaustion and agitation you were feeling.

"I'm... I'm not dead yet. So I guess that's a start." You finally stated, in response to the boy's question.

"Yeah, you don't look dead to me." The girl looming above you gave a toothy grin.

"Unless... Maybe she's a zombie." The boy seemed unnervingly serious about his statement.

"That would be news to me." You muttered, propping yourself up on your elbows.

"So what are you doing out here all alone?" The girl changed the topic. back to the important matter at hand.

"Shipwrecked. Stranded. All that fun stuff,"

"Sounds exciting."

"Technically, it was."

**.: Tuffnut :.**

Trader Johann had given you a summary of absolutely everyone you would be meeting on Berk. It was his way of ensuring you would be able to tell who to try and push what items on - not that you were able to remember half of the things he said. However, there were a few people that stood out to you, that you maybe even looked forward to meeting. The boy named Tuffnut topped that list. He sounded like an absolute wreck of a human being, and a nightmare to try and manage, but that's also what made him sound so incredibly fun to be around. 

You knew from the moment the ship docked at Berk, that you simply  _had_  to meet him. Ideally without coming across as completely creepy about it.

Within 15 minutes, somebody who fit his description wandered onto the boat to look at the available wares. You made your way across the deck to make your introduction, hoping with every fiber of your being that your brief time as an apprentice merchant would give you the ability to keep this as free of awkwardness as you could manage.

"Looking for anything in particular?" You asked, keeping a professional tone as best you could.

"Who, me?"

"Uh..." And there went any competency you were faking, as you tried to figure out exactly how to respond. "Yeah?"

"Oh. I dunno. I didn't think I'd get this far."

"Should I ask what you mean by that?"

"Last time the Chief was all 'you're not going back on Johann's ship, or else'." His retelling was complete with a horribly exaggerated, and presumably inaccurate impersonation of the Chief of Berk. 

"Or else what?" You knew you should stop asking questions and get on with the sale, but everything he said created more and more loose ends and you had little self restraint.

"No clue." He shrugged. "Had something to do with the explosives I bought last time. They were uh... A little stronger than we thought they'd be."

"That's... Uh..." How were you even supposed to reply to that? With a sales pitch? _Uh_.  _Sure._ "I mean, we've got some pyrotechnics this round. Guess those would count as explosives if you're looking for some more. We also have some smaller, less deadly ones."

A look, akin to that of eager inspiration, appeared on his face. 

"Come on, I'll show you."

**.: Fishlegs :.**

You were working as a cartographer's assistant when you first visited Berk. She handled the map making, while you took notes on the terrain and wrote down any numbers or information she threw at you no matter how relevant or useful it was. It wasn't the best gig out there, but there was certainly something satisfying about getting to travel for free provided that you deal with your eccentric, oftentimes disaster of a boss. You had the chance to see things other people wouldn't even dream of, and find things before anyone else. The only thing that you had to wonder was why you were even stopping at Berk?

"No map is ever perfect." You boss, Isolde, explained, handing you an armful of her equipment and stepping off the ship. "And if I'm the one who finds out that the person who was in charge of making Berk's map messed up? Well. That's gonna do something for my credibility."

The two of you were quick to head down to the shore, already having permission from the village chief to try your hand at perfecting a map of the island. It should have been pretty simple, but it appeared that curiosity had gotten the best of one of the vikings who lived on the island. He approached you before either of you had begun your work, and introduced himself as Fishlegs.

"I've read a bit about map making, but I've never seen the process in person. Do you mind if I watch?"

"Watch? You can _help_." Isolde stated, removing the equipment from your arms and putting it into his, gesturing for you to get out your notebook. "You'll be helpin' me set everything up. Movin' things. And making sure the measurements are accurate. (Y/N) over there will keep track of everything, and triple checkin' the work."

"Oh, uh, oka-"

"Any questions?"

"Several."

You giggled, though you did almost feel bad for the poor boy. He had no idea what he got himself into. But  _another_ assistant? You already knew you were gonna be grateful for having a good chunk of the work taken off your shoulders.

"Like?"

"The process, what I'm supposed to be doing... Those sort of things."

"We'll get there when we get there. I think the best way of learning is trial by fire."

"I can confirm." You said from the sidelines. "Don't worry. It's actually really simple. It's just a matter of figures and measurements."

"If you say so." He replied with a nervous smile.

**.: Dagur the Deranged :.**

You weren't sure how you got tangled up with working for some shady people claiming to be from the Berserker tribe. Maybe you weren't thinking clearly. Maybe it was all the money they said you'd make. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because you knew that it would be exciting - a break from the constant drudgery of your everyday life.

It didn't really seem to matter to them. What mattered was the way that you had broken into your chief's house and retrieved information on the whereabouts of the Dragon Riders from Berk. They were pleasantly surprised when you returned in one piece, and claimed they never expected you to be able to do such a good job. It was sounding quite a bit like they were gonna sacrifice you to see how hard their job was gonna be. But since you were intact, and had more than enough information for them to do whatever it was they wanted, they were obligated to pay you.

Which they did, but then an idea hit them. They were gonna introduce you to their chief. "He needs more people like you."

\- - -

"Are you telling me..." The red haired man began, pacing back and forth across the deck of the ship as you, and the two men from earlier, stood in wait. "That you got some local to do the job  _I told you to_?" Something about his demeanor gave you the impression that he was bound to snap at any moment.

"You see, sir... The uh... The house. It was locked up pretty tight. We thought we ought to send someone else in to make sure nobody would get caught."

"Yeah.. Get the locks out of the way and-"

"Do you have _any_  idea how stupid that was?!" He grabbed one of the men by the neck, pulling him forward. "You trusted  _her_?! She could have turned us all in!"

"We told her we'd pay her and-"

" _Useless!_ " He shrieked, throwing the man overboard in one swift movement.

"You have anything to say?" He turned to the other man, who shook his head and stared at the ground. Then he turned to you, walking over to you. "So. _Clearly_  my own crew can't be trusted. But maybe you can... What's your name?"

"(Y/N)."

"(Y/N)?" He waited for you to nod in confirmation. "(Y/N)! Welcome aboard!"

Just like that, it was like you were staring at a completely different man. And you were, without a doubt, terrified.

**.: Heather :.**

"What are you doing here?"

Your eyes fluttered open to see an axe, pointed directly at your throat. Not exactly the way you liked to be woken up, but you weren't in any position to be saying anything about that. So you simply laid there on the sandy beach, attempting to process this whole ordeal.

"I-I just." You raced to gather your thoughts - not fast enough, clearly, as the girl looming over you moved her axe ever so slightly closer to your neck. "Hey, easy there. I just woke up. Could you cut me some slack?"The words came out faster than you could think to stop them.

She stared at you pensively for a moment, before lowering her weapon. "You have thirty seconds. Go."

"I stole a lifeboat to get away from some people I got mixed up with and unfortunately that thing isn't too comfortable and I can't get too far with it all at once so I had to stop here for the night to camp."

"Will they be able to find you?"

"Probably not. They're not even bad people. Just, kind of obnoxious. If they were criminals that would make this  _way_  less pathetic to explain."

"If they're not criminals, why is it so important you get away?"

"Do you want to travel with a twitchy, anxious map maker, some girl that was just found wandering an island with little to no social skills, and some former merchant who is  _clearly_  one bad day from going off the deep end?"

"... Not exactly."

"Yeah. Neither did I. I thought they might be fun to travel with at first. Realized it was a nightmare. Wound up here. Now, if you would please stop interrogating me I can just pack up and leave, okay?"

She hesitated, before speaking up once more. "Where would you go?"

You stammered, unable to think of a response, or a sufficient lie.

"That's what I thought... Look, I'm sorry I freaked out. I just have pretty good reason to be paranoid, and I wasn't taking any chances... If you want, you can stay here for a bit. Gather some food or resources or whatever you need."

"Thank you. I... I seriously appreciate that."


	2. Seeing Them Again

**.: Hiccup :.**

You thought there would be a period where you'd have to "get used to" the dragons. Despite your fascination, they were still strong, threatening, murder beasts with combustible spit and breath. That should have been off-putting. You  _wanted_  to be around them more, and knew from the start that you weren't going to leave Berk until you got one of your own. But you still expected some sort of fear or nervousness to surface once you were face to face with one.

But it never happened. When Hiccup introduced you to his Night Fury you felt nothing but joy. And the next day when you woke up? You were instantly excited to see what your next day on Berk would bring.

It was a challenge to keep yourself from running on your way to the center of town, where you saw Hiccup and Toothless standing there with the twins, who you'd heard were called Ruffnut and Tuffnut. You hadn't met them yet, and weren't too sure who was who, but the fact that you had the slightest idea of who they were made you feel comfortable enough to approach the group. 

"Hey!" Hiccup grinned upon seeing you. "Ruff, Tuff, this is (Y/N), the girl I was telling you about."

"Ohh. She's the one you wanted to help get a dragon, right?"

You felt your breath catch in your throat. You couldn't have heard that right. Your heart was racing but you refused to let yourself believe it until you heard the auburn haired boy's reply.

"Yes. The one I was planning on surprising with that news. That's the one." The sarcasm in his voice was palpable, and you couldn't help but giggle.

"That was supposed to be a surprise? My bad." The blond boy's apology seemed half-hearted, but Hiccup didn't seem to linger on it and instead turned his attention back to you.

"Yeah, so. That's... That was the plan for today. You up for it?"

 _"Absolutely!"_ You blurted - cringing slightly at how unexpectedly loud your voice was.

"Great! Let's go get Fishlegs. We might be able to find some kinds that you'd get along with."

**.: Astrid :.**

Astrid left not long after breakfast, and you spent your day down at the docks, helping your friends try and repair the ship. The only thing you had achieved during your time there was discovering that all your efforts were completely futile, and you were as good as trapped on Berk. By the time you shuffled back into the Hofferson residence, you wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and die. But you were caught walking through the door, by a cheery Mrs. Hofferson. "(Y/N)! Welcome back! Care to join us for dinner?"

You wanted to say no, you  _really_ did, but that would have been rude given how hopeful everyone looked. Including Astrid, who you were admittedly excited to have a chance to talk to again.

"I'd love to." You gave a weak smile and made your way to the table. You pulled out a chair across from Astrid. and before you could even reach to grab a plate, one was dropped in front of you, already covered with food. "Oh. Uh. Thank you."

"If you can't tell, they were hoping you'd say yes." The blonde across from you smirked.

"Y'know, I think I might have picked up on that." You replied with a giggle. "So, how was training?"

"Pretty good. Stormfly is getting better with those tight turns she was struggling with. You need to meet her sometime."

"I really do. She's a Nadder, right?"

"Yep!" She paused for a moment to take a bite of her food. "Have you considered learning how to ride a dragon? Just because I know this whole boat thing is a problem and..."

"A dragon would be  _way_  better than a boat. But I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"N-not that I'm aware of?" You weren't sure where this was going, but you had a pretty solid assumption.

"Then how about we go see Hiccup and talk to him about it?"

"I'd... Seriously? I mean. Yeah. That... That sounds great."

Maybe this boat thing wouldn't be an issue after all.

**.: Snotlout :.**

"Hey! G- I mean.... Hi... Gothi...." A familiar voice managed between coughs that you couldn't help but assume were fake after his initial enthusiasm. "I'm... Not feeling so well."  
You looked up from the papers on basic ailments you had been reading, to see Snotlout standing in the doorway, looking perfectly fine save for the melodramatic frown on his face, and the way he was leaning against the door frame. Gothi looked over to you and rolled her eyes slightly, before gesturing for him to come in.

"What seems to be the problem?" You asked, trying your absolute hardest to sound concerned.

"Oh, hey (Y/N)." He replied, giving another weak cough. "I just... I think I'm coming down with something."

"Uh-huh." You glanced over at Gothi again, who looked thoroughly amused. "What kind of symptoms do you have?"

"I, uh... Just... Everything hurts," That was the answer he settled on, clutching his ribs for emphasis.

"Right. Okay... Anything else?" It was getting harder and harder to suppress the smirk you felt forming on your face.

"I don't know... I... Might have a fever." He leaned forward slightly, lifting his helmet enough to reveal most of his forehead. "Could you check?"

"I dunno. I might not be qualified yet." Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Gothi smile. "We might wanna let the professional handle this."

Right on cue, the elderly woman shuffled forward, and placed a hand to Snotlout's forehead - much to his dismay based on the look he gave. She held in there for a second before stepping back and nodding.

"What's the verdict?"

Gothi looked back at you, nodded once more, and then the silence was broken by a sharp _thwack_ , and a girlish shriek. Snotlout was rubbing the back of his head, and Gothi's staff returned to her side. You weren't sure exactly how to respond, so you simply sat there with your mouth hanging open in shock, awkwardly giggling.

"Ow! Fine, I lied okay!?" Snotlout pouted, face turning crimson at the confession. "You're a mean old lady, you know that?"

She raised her staff yet again, sending the Jorgenson boy fleeing from the shack.

**.: Ruffnut :.**

The twins had brought you back to The Edge that night, and you were given a makeshift tent and bed to stay in - something that you might have come off as a little too grateful for. You expected they'd just let you stay the night and then try to find some way to get you out and on your way. What you didn't expect was waking up the next morning to the sound of shouting outside your tent. With heavy eyelids, you peered your head out, to see the twins standing there.

"Told you that would wake her!"

"Yeah, because we were  _shouting_." Ruffnut said to her brother, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever."

"Why.... Are you guys doing this?" You managed through a yawn.

"Well, since you asked. We didn't get a chance to give you the grand tour last night! So, here we are!"

The girl's eagerness was weirdly adorable, and was enough to coax you completely out of your tent. "Well... Thank you... I think?"

"No problem! Besides,  _someone's_  gotta appreciate the boar pit."

"The... Boar Pit?"

"You heard her." Tuffnut replied, sounding alarmingly proud of whatever it was they were talking about.

"Okay, now I'm intrigued." 

\- - - -

"Yep. That's a boar pit if I've ever seen one." You couldn't help but smile. This whole thing was completely ridiculous. The two of them had actually taken time out of their life to dig out a giant pit just to put a bunch of wild boars in it. There wasn't even any conceivable use for the boars. From what you heard they weren't used for food, and they sure as hell weren't trained. "What do you use them for, exactly?"

"Decoration." Ruffnut explained.

"They help with the ambiance." Tuffnut confirmed.

"Right. I am 100% with you guys there. This boar pit? Excellent addition to The Edge."

**.: Tuffnut :.**

"Tell me," Stoick the Vast said, in a disconcertingly calm voice, "did you sell anyone here fireworks?"

You glanced over at Johann, who looked far more guilty than he should have. He didn't sell the fireworks, he just gave you a price on them so  _you_  could sell them. Sure, in retrospect he probably should have known who they were being sold to, but the past was the past. At least, it should have been. But with the way the chief of Berk was acting you had a sinking feeling something bad happened.

"I'm not sure. I don't remember every sale I make. I know we did have some available though." You weren't going to confess to your mistakes that easily.

"Right... Then how do you explain this?" He stepped to the side, revealing a soot covered Tuffnut, holding a few charred tapestries in his hands.

 _"Oh shit."_  You thought to yourself - or, that was the plan, but given the looks of everyone around you, it appeared that the words had slipped out of your mouth. "I uh... I had no idea that would happen. I'm  _so_  sorry."

Stoick pursed his lips before heaving a heavy sigh. "I suppose you're right... (Y/N), walk Tuffnut here back to his family's house. I need to have a word with Johann."

You could hear your teacher whimper slightly, and though you wanted to stick around for moral support, you had your orders and ducked away, motioning for Tuffnut to follow.

Once you were out of earshot, you turned to the boy. "Y'know, I'm pretty sure we had a deal. I sell you the fireworks you weren't supposed to have, and you don't destroy anything important."

"I wouldn't say they're  _destroyed_. They probably look  _way_  better this way."

"Okay, I'm not gonna disagree with you there. I've seen the tapestries from this place. They look like they were done by a bunch of toddlers.  _But_ , point still stands, I nearly had to face the wrath of Stoick."

Tuffnut chuckled slightly. "It's not so bad once you get used to it. Besides, it's easy to outrun him."

"Is... Alright, I feel like there's a story I need to hear."

"There's a few... Hundred. A few hundred."

**.: Fishlegs :.**

You really didn't expect Isolde to be so impressed by Fishlegs's work, let alone invite him back to help out some more the next day. But the one thing that was more surprising was the fact that he showed up bright and early. ready to lend a hand. And what's more? He was carrying something with him. Something that smelled absolutely  _delicious_.

"Morning!" He beamed. "Hope you guys don't mind, I brought food for you guys."

"You what?" Isolde's attention quickly turned from trying to find the marker from where you left off the day before, to the viking boy.

"I remember you guys saying you don't get to eat a lot of good food because you don't have time to cook. So... I brought you some. To thank you."

This kindness was unprecedented and you responded the only way you knew how - "You're not trying to like, win our trust so you can mercilessly slaughter us in the dead of night, right?"

"Who cares?! If I'm dying, I'm going out happy." Something about Isolde's stance resembled a dog waiting for a treat, but a little less adorable and a little more threatening. As if she was ready to pounce at any moment. So perhaps less of a dog, and more of a poorly trained puppy.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill you. It's been really fun getting to hang out with you guys. I never knew there were so many places outside the archipelago." He handed a small crate to Isolde, which she eagerly began picking through.

"And I never knew Berk was so isolated." You admitted. "It's kind of nice, though. You've got dragons, decent food, the scenery is gorgeous... I can see why you guys haven't gone searching for other...warmer places."

"Well, Hiccup's been working on exploring a little bit. We even have an outpost that's pretty far from here. But, Berk is home." He explained, giving you your portion of food. It might not have looked the prettiest - but what could you expect when your food was being served to you in a small box as opposed to proper plates? Regardless, with your first bite you wondered how you had ever lived without it.

"This is  _incredible_." You managed, covering your mouth as if that would somehow hide the fact that it was still full.

"You can thank my mom." He admitted.

"Well thanks to her. And thank  _you_ for bringing it."

**.: Dagur The Deranged :.**

You weren't given a cabin aboard the ship - instead you were just sectioned off a little corner below deck, where blankets were hung from the rafters to give you what small amount of privacy there was available. Which you appreciated, of course, but being able to hear the others talking, and the constant noise, all served as a reminder that you had done something potentially awful, and were in pretty deep trouble should anyone find out. It was kind of exciting, honestly. That is, right up until someone threw open your curtains and mentioned that Dagur the Deranged himself wanted a word with you. At that point, it was just terrifying.

You made your way up to the deck, where you saw him staring out at the ocean ahead. You took another step, which was apparently enough to catch his attention. "That better be you, (Y/N)."

"Last I checked it is." You replied - cringing when you realized that he was  _not_  the sort of person you should be giving sass.

"Good." He turned around and walked towards you, appearing far calmer than he had a few hours before hand when you first boarded the ship. "I've got a question for you."

"Alright. I'm hoping I have an answer."

"Have you ever been to Berk?"

"No, sir."

"Sir?  _Sir!?_  Oh-ho I can tell I'm gonna like you already!" He laughed. "But this is good! Because they don't know you! They... They don't know you, _right_?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Great! This is amazing!" He was gesturing broadly with his hands, and while his manic energy was frightening at first, knowing it wasn't angry or directed at you put your mind at ease. "Then the plan will work."

"Plan?"

"You're gonna go to Berk and get something for me. A map. To a place called The Edge."

"Alright, I'll do it."

**.: Heather :.**

"Good. You're still alive."

You looked up from the stick you were sharpening to see Heather, arms full of various dried branches, with a few rocks held in one of her hands.

"Yep. From what I can tell, still breathing." You replied, using the knife in your hand to peel off another chunk of wood. "Why? Is that about to change?"

"No... Or at least, not yet." She smirked. "I brought you some spare supplies."

"Seriously? Thanks!" You grinned as she sat down beside you, placing the branches and twigs in the sand. 

"That's just some firewood and kindling. To get you started." She put the rocks down beside them. "And those are for starting the fire. I know you've probably done this before, but-"

"I still appreciate it. It's good to know what I have on hand... At least, that's what the old guy in my village always said when he was telling us about surviving in the woods... Never thought I'd need it, but I guess if I make it back alive I should probably thank him, huh?"

"Didn't you know? The village weirdos are almost always helpful in the long run." Her smirk turned into a smile, the first one you had gotten from her since your arrival.

"Y'know, maybe that's why they're all really eccentric. Because otherwise they'd be taken seriously and therefore have no weaknesses."

"That's a pretty good theory..." Heather paused for a moment, looking at the setting sun. "Do you have any food yet?"

"Some berries." You pointed to a cloth you had filled with berries and tied, just to see that it was being dragged off by a Terrible Terror. "Hey!" You yelped, jumping to your feet. "You better give that back!" You darted off after the creature, and heard Heather's laughter ringing out behind you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the most recent update. Next chapter, I'm gonna be posting Viggo's scenarios thus far, and after that? Eret's, potentially.


	3. Hanging Out

**.: Hiccup :.**

"So," Hiccup began as he sat across from you at one of the spacious tables in the Great Hall, "Where to begin?"

"Where to begin, indeed." Another viking you had come to know as Fishlegs said in response, making his way over to the table and sitting next to the auburn haired boy. He placed something down on the table - a rather large, ancient looking tome with what appeared to be some sort of dragon emblem on the front. Before you could analyze it further he flipped it open and it revealed slightly tattered pages, covered with writings and drawings of dragons, many of which you'd never seen before. “There's so many options.”

“I'm noticing that.” You said with a slight chuckle, glancing up at Hiccup for some moral support. The possibilities were already a little overwhelming, but if anyone could point you in the right direction it would be him.

He seemed to pick up on your silent plea for help. “I have a few ideas.”

“You do?” You and Fishlegs asked simultaneously. Not that either of you were surprised. Ideas  _were_  kind of his thing after all.

“Yeah. I mean. You clearly get along with Toothless pretty well. We haven't found any other Night Furies out there but... Maybe another Strike Class dragon could be a fit."

"Strike Class." You repeated to yourself, as if you hoped saying it out loud would somehow help you figure out exactly what he was talking about. "What kinds would those be?"

"Things like Skrills, Triple Strykes, Threadtails, Wooly Howls..." Fishlegs could rattle off the names by memory. Maybe someday you'd be able to get to that point, but in the meantime you were still struggling to remember the names of all the species you'd met since arriving.

"Strike Class dragons are smart, stealthy, and they can be  _very_  dangerous. They're a bit of a struggle to train, but once you manage they're one of the best." Hiccup explained, earning a pout from his friend.

"That's your opinion. Personally, I have a soft spot for the Boulder Class."

"What other classes are there?"

"Stoker, Tracker, Sharp, Tidal, and Mystery."

"... Should I be taking notes?"

**.: Astrid :.**

Astrid was adamant about getting you a dragon. The only issue was that Hiccup was off helping his father with some issues involving Mulch and Bucket and some Terrible Terrors. You were both a little foggy on the specifics, and Astrid insisted it was better to just not ask and move on. However it did leave the two of you with quite a bit of time to kill. The viking girl had what she called the "perfect idea", and the next thing you knew you were face to face with her dragon. 

"Stormfly, right?" You asked, trying to ignore the fact that the beast seemed incredibly intrigued by you and kept tilting its head and looking at you from just about every angle it could manage. Like it could tell you weren't from around there.

"Yep." Astrid sounded like a proud mother, stroking the Nadder's side. "So, you ever fly before?"

"Do you mean like... Have I been the one flying the dragon or have I ever been flying in general? Because the answer to both is no."

"Well. Guess we're gonna change that."

"Wait what?"

"You heard me." She smiled. "Here's what I'm gonna have you do..." She left the dragon's side and came over to yours, and held out her arm, open palm extended towards the dragon. "Just do this..." Stormfly gently placed her snout against her human's hand. "And she'll do that. That's just a typical way of showing that you trust her, and she trusts you."

"And if she doesn't trust me?"

"Do you  _really_  think you'd still be standing here?"

She giggled slightly at the look of terror on your face at the thought of what could potentially happen. But, she had a point. You  _were_  still alive. "You've got a point..." You replied. "I guess I can do-"

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" The familiar sound of Hiccup's voice rang out through the arena. "My dad managed to sort things out for now. What'd I miss?"

You couldn't even be upset you were interrupted right as you were about to formally introduce yourself to Stormfly. Because his arrival meant one very important thing - you'd be getting to introduce yourself to your own dragon very, very soon.

**.: Snotlout :.**

You didn't really  _intend_  to hang out with Snotlout. It's just one of those things that goes hand in hand with being invited to spend the day with the dragon riders. Admittedly, you were slightly less than thrilled to be seeing him after the whole encounter with Gothi the day before. It was bound to be awkward and you knew sooner or later you'd slip up and ask him why he lied about being sick. You didn't even want to know the answer, because if it was what you were worried it was things could get super awkward. He already tried to blatantly flirt with you the first time you met. What if this was going to be a recurring theme? As entertaining, and strangely charming as it was, you had no idea how to feel about it.

And now you were standing beside him in the training arena, listening to Hiccup rattle on about some dude named Viggo. And training. And a bunch of other things you couldn't exactly catch.

"Everyone clear?" Hiccup asked, eyes scanning the group group. It was almost like he knew that at least one of you would be  _completely_  lost.

You glanced at the others, hoping somebody else would speak up first so you could get a recap without admitting anything. But you were having no such luck. "Yeah, I uh... I'm completely lost."

"Oh. Well, uh... Is there anything in particular?"

"All of it? Like, don't get me wrong, I was paying attention... Mostly... But I have no idea who Viggo is, or what "dragon root" is, or what half of these tactics are. I wanna help but, I feel like there's a lot of catching up for me to do."

"I didn't really think of that..." Hiccup grumbled. "We can always-"

"No need to worry about it." Snotlout was quick to interrupt - not that that was particularly surprising. "You guys go worry about training. I'll give (Y/N) the rundown."

"I... How about we ask (Y/N) about that first?"

"I... I mean. I guess?"

"See?" Snotlout threw an arm around your shoulders. "You go 'train' or whatever. I've got this covered."

_Oh no_.

**.: Ruffnut :.**

"This seems like a terrible idea." You whispered, peering around the doorway and looking at Hiccup and Fishlegs, who seemed completely immersed in conversation. You didn't have a clue what they were talking about, but whatever it was, they were pretty enthusiastic about it.  _Probably dragons_ , you thought to yourself, before pulling your head back and looking at the twins crouched down next to you, and the flailing boars they held in their arms.

"C'mon. Those two have been in there talking for hours." Ruffnut explained. "There's only one way to get them out."

"Right... And this is gonna work better than like, talking to them?"

"(Y/N), I know you've only been here like, a day, but you need to learn to trust us."

"We're the experts." Tuffnut interjected, earning an approving nod from his sister.

"Experts." She reiterated, taking a step forward and gently tossing the boar past you, into the hut. Her brother quickly followed suit. You couldn't fight back a giggle as you heard the panicked screams of Fishlegs, and the sound of at least one of the two vikings falling over. "And now? Now we run."

\- - -

"Why?" Was all Hiccup had to say to the three of you, as he stood before you covered in bruises and boar fur.

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Ruffnut said proudly, crossing her arms and giving the boy a smug grin.

"Worked to what? Maim us? Almost." Fishlegs plucked yet another splinter out of his arm.

"In my defense, I had nothing to do with this. They talked me into it and I was outnumbered." You managed, though deep down you knew you could have probably talked them out of it, or at the very least have bailed on the whole situation if you really wanted to. "And in their defense, your girlish screams were pretty funny."

**.: Tuffnut :.**

You and Tuffnut had hit it off that night that you were tasked with walking him home, and clearly you weren't the only one feeling that way, as the very next day you were invited to spend some time with him and his friends. You were almost worried you'd feel a little out of place, being a traveling merchant in a close knit group like their's. But you quickly warmed up to them, and somewhere along the lines you got dragged into refereeing an impromptu round of dragon racing.

"It's easy." Tuffnut had explained to you as he dragged you over to what he and his friends dubbed the 'best vantage point'. "Just stand here. Watch. Learn. Let us know who wins."

"It's gonna be me!" You heard Snotlout shout, earning a frown from the blond boy in front of you. 

"I think I can handle this. Probably." You replied. It didn't seem like it would be an issue. How hard could just  _standing_  there be?

\- - -

Very. The answer was  _very_.

You were nearly knocked off balance by the dragons flying too close at least three times, and the breeze kept sweeping up sand that you'd really rather not get in your eyes, causing a lot of unnecessary squinting when you  _should_  have been watching. But by the final lap, you knew what to expect, and kept your eyes locked on the finish line.

Hiccup was first over, with Astrid just a second behind. Snotlout was the next one through, and a few seconds later Ruff and Tuff arrived. You wanted to ask where Fishlegs was, but deep down inside you knew that Meatlug wasn't built for speed. So with that you got up and went down to greet the others.

"How'd we do?" Tuffnut asked before you could even state who the winner was.

"Well, better than Fishlegs, if that counts for anything."

" _I'll take it_."

**.: Fishlegs :.**

When Fishlegs invited you to hang out outside of work, you were a little giddier than you should have been. You'd come to view him as a friend even after knowing each other for just two days, and the fact that he clearly felt the same was fantastic. You were almost worried he was only spending time with you guys because he was a massive nerd. Which he was. But that's also part of the reason you loved being around him.

So it didn't come as a surprise to you that you were going to be spending the day with he and Hiccup trying to figure out how to deal with a baby dragon they'd found on their travels. 

"Okay, so what kind of dragon is this?" You asked from the entryway of the arena, where you could see Hiccup struggling to calm the little creature.

"This little guy is a Speed Stinger. They're a sharp class dragon, and surprisingly, they're completely flightless. They rely on their incredible speed to get around. Turns out they're even fast enough to run on water!" The smile on Fishlegs' face was downright contagious.

"Is there anything important I should know about them before I go in there to meet it? Just so I don't, like, get too injured?"

"Of course! They can't breathe fire, or anything else for that matter, so you're safe there."

"That's good to kn-"

"But their tails are razor sharp and have a paralyzing poison in them."

"Oh.  _Oh._ " You paused for a moment to assess the situation - did you  _really_  wanna go spend time around an energetic baby dragon that could potentially paralyze you? Kind of, actually. But there was another pressing question on your mind. "Wouldn't that 'paralyzing poison' technically be counted as a venom?"

"Would it?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Isn't poison something that can be ingested or absorbed, and venom is something that gets injected?"

"That's... That's a really good point actually."

**.: Dagur the Deranged :.**

"Look who's back!" Dagur beamed, as you boarded the now familiar ship. Your legs ached from running, your chest was still burning from gasping for air, and there was a pretty nasty gash on the palm of your hand. But regardless, you felt a smile tug at your lips. "How'd the mission go?"

"Well, I didn't die, so that's a solid start." You managed through unsteady breaths, with a slight laugh. "Also, there were a bunch of papers laying around that Hiccup kid's room. I didn't have time to look through all of them so..." You reached into the bag slung over your shoulder and pulled out a thick stack of papers. "I just grabbed anything that looked important. I know it's not as subtle as only stealing a map but... This kid needs a filing system."

Dagur approached you, took the papers from your hands, and pursed his lips. He skimmed through them with the same pensive, unmoving expression, page after page. Until his eyes shot up to meet yours, and a recognizable grin plastered itself back on his face. It was followed by a giggle, slowly shifting into a genuine laugh - his sudden change in demeanor letting you know that you either did something incredibly right, or you were gonna get skinned alive. There was likely no middle ground.

Before you could ask for some clarification, you felt arms around you, pulling you into a close if not crushing embrace. "I knew I could count on you!" 

"I-uh... Thanks?" You choked out as your feet were lifted off the ground and your legs were left to dangle helplessly. This was, perhaps, more concerning than the blind rage you were anticipating.

"You've got  _everything_! Oho, we've  _gotta_  go tell Viggo about this!"

"... What's a Viggo?"

"Don't worry, you're about to find out!"

You supposed he was right.

But a more pressing matter was finding out when he was going to put you down.

**.: Heather :.**

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I'm positive."

Heather had invited you to stay a little closer to her shelter, away from the beach you'd been stranded on for the past few days. It was a refreshing change, and fortunately much less sandy. 

"I'm not gonna wake up with your axe to my throat again, right?" You smirked following her through the woods. It was a horrible path to try and walk, with thick foliage and roots making every step a risk, and rivers and brooks cutting through at the most inopportune times. It made sense for her to choose that kind of location for a camp. Nobody could get there on foot unless they knew the exact way. And she wouldn't have to worry about that, having a dragon and all.

"Probably not, but you never know." She shrugged, and you almost believed her until you heard a faint giggle.

"Right, why write it off? Keeps things more exciting... Seriously though, I really appreciate this."

"Yeah, I think you made that clear about seven times already. But you're welcome." She slowed her pace slightly and glanced over her shoulder back at you. "It didn't seem all that safe to keep you stuck on the beach."

"Safe for  _me_? Or are you just inviting me to your camp to keep an eye on me?" You knew you needed to tone down the sarcasm, but this whole situation was a mess and this was becoming your only real coping mechanism.

"A little of both."

* * *

**A/N:**  Sorry about the delay! Next chapter I'm going to be introducing Eret, and the chapter after that I should be posting an update for Viggo. Then it'll be back to the story.


	4. Introducing: Eret, Son of Eret

**.: How You Met :.**

You knew sailing through that area was a risk - you'd heard the stories and witnessed firsthand the wrath of the sea, and it was no secret that dragon trappers were beginning to call that stretch of water their home. But you didn't have a dragon, despite living on Berk for the past year. You didn't have the time, and were always afraid to get attached knowing that you'd wind up leaving the island sooner or later and other places might not be as welcoming towards you in your travels if you were arriving aboard a potentially dangerous beast. So you figured it would be safe, or at the very least easy to talk your way out of any issues.

And yet when you arrived on the dreaded expanse, there was nothing. Nothing, save for unnatural formations of ice jutting out of the water, and the all too familiar sound of the waves lapping up against them. You stayed your course, perhaps even warier then than you were at the start. You didn't plan on straying from it - too much risk involved in that - but something strange caught your eye. The formations were littered with the wooden remains of some sort of fort. Planks were strewn about beside splintered poles and hardly intact walkways. Common sense suggested you should run, but you'd never seen anything like this, and you weren't going to just leave without figuring out what was going on here. Maybe there were survivors.  _Maybe_  there would be a good story to come out of this.

You docked your boat at one of the sturdier looking posts, and made your way onto the  frozen mass. 

It was slippery beneath your feet, as all ice would be, and you navigated the terrain carefully. Your hands were always latched onto whatever remaining wooden structures you could find, and you would only step any place that looked sturdy, or at the very least like you wouldn't immediately go sliding down  into the frigid water below. Below, of course, being the last place you wanted to look. You were making steady progress climbing the formation, and with every movement you were getting further from your boat, or any semblance of solid ground. But your entire motto this entire journey had been "too late to turn back, now", so you simply kept climbing.

"What was that?" 

Your heart skipped a beat, footing becoming unsteady as a man's voice rang out through the air. Your throat went dry, and you wondered for a second if you should reply, or perhaps just wait it out and see if it happens again. 

"Is someone there?"

_Yep, it happened again._

"Uh. Yeah." You replied, mentally scolding yourself for being so awkward about it. But you  _really_  didn't expect anyone to be up here. You were kinda hoping you'd find survivors and be hailed as a hero or something, however whoever this was sounded pretty territorial and something told you that you'd actually just wandered into an inhabited area entirely by mistake. 

There was the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching, and within seconds a man stood before you. Tall, broad shoulders, with dark hair and an unfamiliar style of tattoo on his chin. "And who might you be?" 

"Me? I'm uh. I'm (Y/N). I was just  sailing through the area and noticed all the wreckage so  I decided to check it out."

He nodded, with an expression that gave you the distinct feeling that he was sizing you up, and didn't completely believe you. Which was notably less alarming than the group of  _other_  men gathering behind  him, weapons at the ready. "Right. Sailing through. Where about were you headed?"

"I..."  _Oh no. This is bad. This is very bad_. The name of the small island you were headed towards had completely escaped you. In any other circumstance you'd remember, but face to face with a group of very angry strangers? Your mind decided to gloss over any information other than the overwhelming knowledge that you were likely in danger. "I honestly don't remember the name."

"Right. You really think I'm going to believe that?"

"I have a map. It's on my boat. I can show you. The name is just really long and hard to pronounce." That, at the very least, wasn't a  _complete_  lie. "And uh. I can bring you guys food? Or  _something?_ Because I'm guessing there's not much out here but fish."

There we re a few faint murmurs of approval from the group of men, causing the dark haired one you'd been talking to frown pensively before saying. "Fine, then. Go ahead and grab it."

**.: Seeing Them Again :.**

Your limbs were aching after your climb back up the formation, and your heart was pounding in your chest. In one hand you held a tattered map you'd taken from home when you first left, in the other you held a basket full of whatever food you could spare in hopes that it could act as some sort of peace offering. The man you'd been speaking to, the one with the tattoo, seemed reasonable enough. He just struck you as a little suspicious, which was understandable. It was the rest of them you were worried about.

"Welcome back." The dark haired man said as you approached, a smile forming on his face. "I have to admit, I thought you'd just get in your boat and sail off."

"Can't say I wasn't tempted." You replied, half joking. "But the Big Guy over there has a crossbow and he looks pretty eager to use it." You gestured to a rather burly man whose grip on his weapon hadn't loosened since your arrival. 

The man you were talking to turned to the other, giving him a dismissive gesture. The Big Guy, as you'd dubbed him, lowered the crossbow just enough to make it look like he wasn't seconds away from shooting you. But his stance made it  _very_  clear if you tried anything, he wouldn't hesitate. The man turned his attention back to you. "Ignore him."

"Easier said than done..." There was a pause, a lull in the conversation, and you saw this as your chance to ask. "So, am I allowed to ask what happened here?"

"That's a long story, and I think you owe us some answers first."

"Okay, fair trade. Shoot."

"What did you say your name was again?"

"(Y/N)."

"Right. (Y/N). And where were you going?"

You unfolded your map and pointed to a small island far to the northwest. The name was several letters long, most of which had been smudged by wet and running ink, and you could only make out a few tidbits of a name. "Ar", "mj" and "de" were all in there somewhere, and that was hardly enough to guess a name by. "That place. Never been there, and I can't seem to find it marked on any other maps. So it piqued my interest."

The man squinted, taking the map from your hands and eyeing the name carefully. "I... Have absolutely no idea where this is."

"Yeah, that's the general reaction."

He sighed, handing the parchment back to you. "Alright, your turn. What do you want to know?"

"Well. Let's start with something simple. What's your name?"

"I am Eret, son of Eret."

"Okay, Eret, son of Eret. What's the deal with this destroyed fort and all this ice?"

"This?" He gestured broadly to the wreckage that surrounded you both. "Dragon riders. One came through about a week ago and blew the whole place to bits."

"Dragon riders?"  _It couldn't be... No. They wouldn't do something like this. They'd never even been to this area._ "There are  _other_  dragon riders?"

" _Other?_ "

**.: Hanging Out :.**

You were pretty sure he was going to kill you that first day you met. Especially when you'd let on you'd known about dragon riders. But you managed to smooth things over and explain that the ones you knew were still relatively bound to their own archipelago and it would take a while for them to feel bold enough to make it out that far. And in retrospect, the food probably helped a bit to get on everyone's good side as well. Because as the night went on, you'd won them over enough to get permission to set up camp in the ruins of their fort, which certainly saved you loads of trouble trying to find some other safe place  to rest your head.

You thought that would be the extent of your time knowing the Dragon Trappers. You'd pack up in the morning and say your goodbyes, and maybe stumble across them on your way back through the area and have a brief yet awkward reunion out of obligation more than anything. That's how these sort of things usually went.

Your tent was packed and ready to go, but instead of leaving you were seated on the bundle right across from Eret who had made himself comfortable on a toppled over beam, and the two of you were locked in a discussion. You weren't even sure how it started, but you had no intention of letting it end anytime soon. You were finally learning more about the other mysterious dragon rider, and hearing about dragons you were sure nobody back on Berk knew about.

"It's a massive beast." Eret explained, leaning forward the way one might when telling a folktale. "It can't fly, but don't think it's not deadly. It did this to our fort on its own. Took minutes, and suddenly everything was in pieces and it and the rider both ran back off to wherever they came from."

"And what about the rider? Like, what kind of person does it take to be able to control that kind of power?" Snotlout back on Berk couldn't even control a Monstrous Nightmare without getting hurt. The thought of someone handling something exponentially more dangerous? Terrifying. But you  _needed_  to know more.

"Couldn't tell you. Whoever it was, they were wearing some sort of mask. Blue, with horn sort of things sticking out. The whole thing was..."

"Surreal?"

"Yeah. That's... That's about the word I'd use."

\- - -

Hours.

It had been  _hours_  since you were supposed to leave. But your conversation with Eret had drifted from the strange dragon rider, to what kind of work he did, and from there it turned into questions about why you were on your adventure, and where you had come from. Every topic you covered just lead to more questions, and the day quickly slipped away from you both. The sun was sinking lower in the sky by the time you realized just how sidetracked you'd gotten. 

But you'd learned not to overstay your welcome, and attempted to say your goodbyes regardless of the time. Instead, you were met with resistance. 

"You can't be thinking about going out there right now."

"I've sailed in the dark before." You replied, picking up your bundled tent. "It won't be a problem."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Have you looked at those clouds to the east?"

"No, why?"

"Well, take a look." He gestured towards the eastern skyline, and sure enough there were a few dark clouds rolling in.  Not enough to justify stopping, but you did have to admit that it could be risky to stay on the water too long. He seemed to take your pensive pause as a victory. "That's what I thought."

"I appreciate what you guys have done for me. Really. But I'm not one to overstay my welcome." Which wasn't always the truth, but it was something you tried to aim for.

"You're not overstaying your welcome if we're welcoming you to stay a little bit longer."

\- - -

 **A/N:**   Okay so I rambled a little more than I planned to here, and I admit I'm still a little iffy about how I'm writing Eret as a character. I'm hoping to improve on that as I go though. Next chapter is going to be introducing Viggo Grimborn, which I may or may not be way too eager to write. And after that we're going to be back to our regular scenario updates!


	5. Introducing: Viggo Grimborn

**.: How You Met :.**

Heather was compromised. 

It was becoming increasingly obvious that there was a traitor among the dragon hunters, and she was no longer able to fulfill her role as double agent as effectively as she needed to. And that's exactly why she turned to you.

The dragon hunters had no idea who you were. Sure, you were a dragon rider, but you rarely went out of your way to go on risky missions anymore, and spent most of your time on Berk helping the others hone their skills in case of an emergency. Heather asked for you by name, urging the other dragon riders to find a way to get you somewhere you could weasel your way into the dragon hunter's domain. She said you were one of the most capable people she knew. Which you took as a great honor, but at the same time you weren't entirely surprised given that her other options consisted of people the enemies already knew, or Gustav. And you  _had_   to be considered a better option than Gustav.

And that's exactly what lead to you standing in the captain's quarters of the infamous Viggo Grimborn, dangerously dragon-less, with two hulking guards at your side. You tried to keep your breathing slow and steady, and kept your eyes locked on his desk. It was the most you could do to feign some sort of confidence. If you acted like you were too afraid of him, you'd either be deemed unfit for any of their jobs and be ushered out, or be given grunt work. Neither of which would get you where you needed to be.

"Have a seat." Viggo's tone was casual - alarmingly so. You'd had encounters with enemies of the dragon riders in the past, and not once had any of them come across as so calm and collected. Something about his nonchalance was more off-putting than the maniacal rage you were used to dealing with in these sorts.

You glanced over at the men on either side of you, checking to see if they'd stop you from taking a step towards Viggo. If the glazed over looks in their eyes were anything to go by, they had let their guard down ages ago and probably couldn't care less whether or not you  _actually_   went and took a seat. So you began walking forward, half wondering if he could tell that you were struggling to keep your gait steady and self assured. You pulled out the chair on the other side of his desk and sat yourself down, not bothering to make yourself too comfortable.

"So, my men say you think you can be of use to us."

"I'd like to think so." You weren't sure what he had heard - if they had just told him you wanted a meeting or summarized the lengthy rant you gave them explaining each and every reason you thought you'd be a good fit. That rant was, of course, pretty much the sole reason you got the meeting with Viggo in the first place. It was the only way any of them could get you to shut up. Clearly, talking people into the ground was just one of many talents you could offer. "Maybe not in any of the 'brute force' sort of fields. But if you ever need anything that requires a little more, uh...  _tact_.... I think I  could lend a hand."

He arched a brow, adding to the ever growing feeling that he was trying to size you up as much as you were him. "I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific."

"Back home I was a merchant's apprentice." A lie. "I got pretty good at dealing with people, and weaseling information out of them. And from what I overheard on my last trip to the Northern Markets, people like Johann aren't much use to you. And sure, sure. You can keep getting your information from the markets, but there's a very specific type of person who goes there, and call it a hunch, but I'm guessing that they don't blend in too well anywhere but there."

"You're suggesting espionage?"

"More or less." You shrugged. "I've heard that you're a ridiculously good tactician, and I admire that. Beats the standard viking attitude of 'punch it until it does what you want'. I want to learn from the best, and if it takes doing a little spy work or just gathering random bits of information, then so be it."

"Very well." He leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. You had to wonder if that gesture was supposed to come across as casual, or as a vague show of power - a strange "holier than thou" sort of motion. Both were likely, and "both" was probably the answer you were looking for. "But first, I must ask, why leave behind such a promising career? You seem like a clever girl. Being a merchant would fit someone like you, and bring in some good money as well."

"It was boring."

"Boring?"

"There's no risk. No excitement. No challenges of any sort. The lack of any sort of stimulation was killing me, slowly but surely." Although you were lying about being a merchant's apprentice, your little rant there  _was_   completely honest. Your life back on Berk was mind numbing and dull. That's half the reason you took this double agent job in the first place. The other half being some weird desire to be seen as an indispensable asset to the dragon riders.

"A fair justification." For the first time during your interaction, you could see a smile tugging on the corners of his lips. "Perhaps you have the mindset we're looking for after all."

Your chest fluttered, as if your mind was somehow completely unaware that you didn't really  _want_  to be a part of the dragon hunters. That this was something you  _shouldn't_   be excited about. "Even if it's only for a little bit, I would  really appreciate a chance to give this whole thing a shot."

"What did you say your name was, my dear?"

There was something about hearing those words that made your face heat up instantly.   _This is bad. This is very bad_.

"(Y/N)." You managed, forcing your emotions way back down inside where they belong.

"(Y/N), I believe you may have found just the opportunity you've been searching for."

"Thank you." You caught yourself grinning - the delight of having gotten away with your scheme only serving to make your act more believable. "I won't make you regret it."

**.: Seeing Him Again :.**

"Viggo wants a word with you."

Those were the words you were greeted with after Ryker had jostled you awake. You had no idea what the leader of the dragon hunters wanted. It wouldn't make sense to have a mission for you already, seeing as you had just been recruited earlier that night. But you were also pretty sure he wouldn't just call you aside for a casual chat. But once you found him on the other side of camp, things went from confusing to terrifying.

He was standing with Heather and her dragon, a Razorwhip you were grateful you never had a chance to formally meet. If it were to recognize you, the whole operation would go up in smoke.

"(Y/N)!" Viggo announced upon seeing you, gesturing you to join the two of them. "I have someone I would like you to meet."

You locked eyes with Heather and realized right off the bat that she was perhaps even more nervous than you were. Had he mentioned something to her before you showed up? Or was this just a result of the stress of  _everything_   all piling up? Then suddenly it hit you - this was the night they were supposed to go retrieve the Flightmare.

"This is Heather." Viggo's voice pulled you back into the reality at hand. "She's a  _very_  trusted member of my team."

It was amazing how skillfully he lied. If you hadn't heard first hand about the risk of Heather being found out. you would have believed that he trusted her completely. So where did that leave you?

"Heather, this is (Y/N)." Viggo  continued, either oblivious to the palpable cloud of dread surrounding two thirds of this conversation, or acting blissfully unaware for reasons you weren't entirely sure of. "She's a new recruit. I thought I would bring her along to let her get a feel for how things work around here."

"First off, nice to meet you." You said, gesturing to Heather and trying your absolute hardest to sound properly convincing. "And second off, with all due respect... Bring me along where?"

"You'll find out in due time. Now please, follow me."

**.:** **Hanging Out :.**

You sat in the ship's captain's quarters, the events of the past few hours playing back time and time again in your head. One minute, you were with Viggo and Heather and you thought you were going to capture a Flightmare. The next minute, Viggo had called out Heather for the traitor she was, weapons were drawn, and violence erupted on the deck of the ship.  _You_  were invited along  on this excursion, which very clearly proved that he knew exactly what you were up to from the start. But he didn't call you out yet. He didn't involve you in the fight when he easily could have and he didn't abandon you to try and ward off his men alongside your friend. Instead he opened the door and allowed you right back inside, into safety.

He was playing at something. It was just a matter of figuring out what.

"Funny." Viggo stated from somewhere behind you - near the door, you assumed, given the faint click of a lock that made your blood run cold. "I had assumed you'd be more willing to come to your friend's aid."

You couldn't even open your mouth to reply. Your mind was far too busy racing, struggling to figure out exactly where this interaction was going. You weren't opposed to violence if necessary, but you weren't going to just pull a weapon and attack. No. You'd wait and see where this was headed. 

"I suppose I should be asking you why."

His hand rested on the back of the chair you were seated in as he waited for a response.

"I don't really know." You were lying again, something that you'd done quite a bit of in the past twenty four hours.

"I can't tell if you're trying to fool me, or yourself."

He caught you. He  _always_   caught you. 

You groaned in agitation, really not wanting to come to terms with what you just let happen. But the truth of the matter is, you'd been waiting years for a chance to get off Berk and actually make something of yourself. You weren't a skilled enough fighter to be a member of the dragon riders, and all the trades you could study weren't things you could see yourself doing for your  _entire life_. You more or less just abandoned your friends for the sake of continuing your own adventure, and while you felt guilty, you were almost happy with the decision you made. If it wasn't going to lead to your head on a pike, that is.

"I'm so sick of Berk." You admitted. It sounded like an even more pathetic reason once you uttered the words aloud. But you meant it. "I can't stand the thought of being trapped there my entire life, doing absolutely nothing worthwhile. Same thing, day in, day out. It's  _painful_. I thought when they asked me to do this whole 'double agent' job I'd be able to be free from there for a little bit. But  _that_   didn't really work out, so..."

"I had a feeling you were being sincere during our chat earlier, (Y/N). At the very least, about that." He circled around to the other side of the desk, and took a seat. "So it became a question then, of where your loyalties  _truly_   lie."

Your gaze had been locked on your lap since you entered the room, but you hesitantly looked up at the man before you. He didn't seem as furious as you'd expected. You were bracing yourself for far worse. But there was still time - that could always change. 

"You know, I stand by what I said." Viggo's remark caught you off guard, and you arched a brow, searching for the context. "I do think you're a clever girl. Ambitious, too. And you know what else I think?"

You shook your head, still piecing this whole interaction together.

"I think perhaps I will give you one more chance. But know this - we will  _all_  be keeping an eye on you."

"Wait... Okay, I am... Can you please run this by me one more time. I'm sorry, I'm still a little... Uh. Shaken. From earlier."

"I think you show potential. You could be just what we need. But, if for even one second you make me doubt who's side you're on, there  _will_  be consequences."

\- - -

 **A/N:**  There were so many details I wanted to fit in during this chapter that I just wasn't able to. I try to keep the lengths and whatnot similar so it doesn't seem like I'm favoring any particular characters. But I just got completely sold on this storyline and I'm contemplating making a full length fic out of this one. Possibly. Don't hold me to it.


	6. First Time Flying

**.: Hiccup :.**

"So, where are we headed exactly?"  You asked, watching Hiccup adjust Toothless's saddle. The dragon purred happily as his trainer fiddled with the straps.

"I told you.  _We_   are going to go get  _you_ a dragon."

"Yeah, I think I remember you saying something about that, like, five times." You smirked. "Got anything more specific for me?"

"Afraid not." He didn't seem to terribly bothered  by that, despite the sentiment.

"And why's that?"

"We decided to keep it a secret."

"Plus, Hiccup can't remember the name of the island." Ruffnut interjected, earning a disgruntled sigh from the auburn haired boy.

"Yeah, I uh. I suppose there's that too."

\- - -

"It's gonna be okay, bud."

"Are you talking to me, or Toothless?" You chuckled. Sitting atop a dragon was a surreal feeling, and you were beginning to wonder if this was really a good idea. You'd never flown before, for any length of time, and now you were going to be soaring over the seemingly endless expanses of sea surrounding the archipelago for well over an hour.

"Depends, which would make you feel more comfortable?" Hiccup replied with a laugh. "If you're having any second thoughts, let me know."

"Nah, I think I'm good." 

"Alright. In that case, hold on tight."

If you _did_  have any second thoughts, they were quickly ushered out of your head by movement beneath you. The Night Fury bolted forward, your arms reached out to grab Hiccup's shoulders as you suppressed a startled scream. The dragon's wings spread, and before you could even process exactly what happened you were being lifted off the ground. You clamped your eyes shut, trying not to think about the fact that the safety of solid earth was getting father and farther away from you with every passing second.

Every fiber of your being was  _begging_  you to be afraid - but it was mind over matter, and you were flying with the most well known and experienced dragon rider anyone had ever heard of. The more you thought about it, you didn't really have any reason to be nervous.

Your eyes fluttered open as your hands kept a firm grip on Hiccup. The wind was tearing through your hair, and in the distance you could see where the sky met the ocean. Beneath you, the waves rolled freely, and you could see the shadows of fish and dragons alike thriving in the seas. 

"What do you think?" Hiccup asked, shouting ever so slightly to be heard over the roaring wind.

"This..." A giggle was welling up in your chest. "This is _incredible_!"

**.: Astrid :.**

Under any other circumstance, you would have been nervous sitting on the back of a Deadly Nadder. But Astrid had this certain confidence about her that put you at ease. Compared to the other vikings, she seemed, well,  _incredibly competent._ Even Hiccup seemed to be more-or-less winging it half the time. 

But Astrid? She was a different story.

“Okay, so,” she began, shifting her weight in the saddle, “I should warn you before we take off. Stormfly is  _pretty_ fast. I’ll try and start her off easy, but if we start picking up too much speed just uh-”

“Scream?”

“Sure, screaming works.” Astrid gave a faint giggle. “And there’s one other thing. I need you to run your hands along the bottom of the saddle back there, just behind me.”

You did as she said, tracing your hands across the leather.

“There’s gonna be a place where there’s little divots. You’re gonna want to grab on there, and hold on tight.”

Sure enough, you found the spot. The leather was thinner where the saddle curved, but sturdy enough to hang on to. “Alright, got that covered. Anything else?”

“Nope. That should be it... Ready?”

“Ready.”

The Nadder lurched forward, and your grip tightened on the saddle, fingernails digging into the leather as if your life depended on it. Which it sort of did, for just a few seconds, until the wind under the dragons wings grew steady, and the fear drifted away into the backdrop of your mind.

You turned your gaze outward, and saw the small village on Berk beginning to fade into the distance. You never considered the island to be too impressive. It was tiny, and cold, and on the ground that's really all you could be aware of. But from this perspective, the intricate rock formations, the way the waves crashed against the towering cliffsides, the way the land was lush and green despite the harshness of the soil... There really was a certain beauty to it that you hadn't seen since your arrival.

"You doing okay back there?"

"I'm... Yeah. More than okay."

"Good. Just... Make yourself comfortable. It's a long flight back to the Edge."

**.: Snotlout :.**

You were pretty thrilled when you heard that you were going to get to go spend some time at the Edge with the Dragon Riders, as some makeshift medic despite being, in your humble opinion, notably under-qualified. But your excitement didn't mean you were free from doing work, Gothi made that much clear. So when the Dragon Riders arrived, you were nowhere to be found, because you were stuck on a mountainside picking buds off of thorn covered bushes. Gothi said they'd help with the common cold. When you doubted that (because in your experience,  _nothing_  helps that nightmare) and asked if they were placebos, she simply shrugged and corralled you out the door.

You figured out pretty quickly that you had to be careful. There was a rather territorial Timberjack calling that particular area home, and while these plants weren't worth risking your life over, you found that if you kept to yourself and made little noise, it didn't really mind you being there. After about an hour, it seemed like the two of you had come to a solid agreement to share the space and more or less ignore the other's presence.

It was going great, until Snotlout showed up to pick you up and take you back to berk to pack.

You weren't too sure what he was saying when he arrived, because within a few seconds your good friend, the Timberjack, _apparently_  decided that Snotlout was too much of a nuisance to keep around. He swooped in, grabbed the unsuspecting viking, and then took off faster than you could process what was happening.

Your mind was rushing as you pieced together what needed to get done. Plans and ideas racing, but all quickly discarded when instinct took hold and you raced towards a more-or-less indifferent Hookfang, threw yourself on his back, and grabbed hold of his horns.

It didn't really occur to you that you were flying. Or rather, it  _did_ , you just didn't care. Snotlout might have been a  _massive pain_  but you couldn't just let him become dragon food. There were bigger problems right now, and you being on the back of a reasonably tame dragon who you already considered a pal was the least of them.

* * *

When you told the wild Timberjack to "put him down", you didn't think the dragon would understand you let alone listen.

It may have lead to Snotlout plummeting towards the earth in some terrifying turn of events, but with a little coaxing Hookfang caught him.

He took a moment to adjust himself on the saddle behind you, catching his breath before saying, "Thanks but uh... Y'know, I had that covered."

You rolled your eyes, readjusting your grip on Hookfang's horns."Yeah, I'm sure you did. Nothing says control like a free-fall."

"Hey, I'm just saying-"

"Do you want me to let you get eaten next time? Because that can be arranged."

"Okay, okay. I'll shut up."

That's a first."

You leaned forward, pushing the Monstrous Nightmare's horns down, prompting the dragon to make a sharp dive towards the ground, aiming for the grassy clearing at the base of the hill. Wind was tearing at your face, your heart was pounding in your chest, and for the first time since you got in the air you realized  _you were flying on a dragon. **You**  just did  **that**_ **.**

Your reveling was cut short by a loud shriek as Snotlout threw his arms around you. His face was buried in your neck, and his arms were squeezing your waist, and you wondered for a brief second where this self preservation instinct was when he showed up in an open, unfamiliar area and started shouting like there weren't giant, flying beasts everywhere.

Once you reached the clearing, you managed to land (most of the credit there goes to Hookfang), and you released the dragon's horns, hands shaking as adrenaline was coursing through your veins. Snotlout's arms loosened slightly, and you heard a muffled "We lived?" against your ear. A pause as realization hit, followed by another, "We _lived_!" And suddenly his grip on you tightened again. "You know, you're not half bad at this whole 'dragon rider' thing."

**.: Ruffnut :.**

"I'm so  _booored_." Ruffnut droned, melodramatically sprawled out on her back on the grass outside your makeshift hut.

"I think I'm starting to figure out why you guys don't like waking up before noon around here." You replied sitting yourself down in the doorway, given that the girl didn't seem to plan on moving. You weren't being entirely honest. This was the dullest day you'd had with the Dragon Riders yet, and it's entirely because Tuffnut was tied up with their cousin, Gruffnut. It had nothing to do with the time, and everything to do with you being too nervous to ask Ruff to hang out just the two of you. 

"It's not _that_. It's Tuff. This whole Gruffnut thing is so  _stupid_."

Okay, so you two  _were_  on the same page. 

"... Yeah, there's that too."

Ruffnut groaned before rolling over and propping herself up on her elbows. "We should just go do something without him."

"I'd be down for that." You tried your hardest to mask how thrilled you were that she brought up that idea first, but frankly it was hard to seem intrigued yet indifferent at the same time.

"Really? Okay good. I was kinda nervous."

"Why?"

"I dunno. We never do _anything_  without him. I wasn't sure you'd wanna."

"Are you  _serious_?"  _Oh thank the gods, you weren't the only one feeling like that._ "I just never asked because I was worried  _you_  wouldn't wanna."

"Oh... That explains why this took so long."

* * *

"Okay, so, just grab on here." Ruff said, grabbing your wrists and placing your hands about half way down the Zippleback's horns. "Just pull on them and lean whatever way you wanna go and Belch here should listen. Any questions?"

"Probably, but I can't really think of any so... How about we just give this a try and cross any bridges when we get to them?"

"Suit yourself." She shrugged and meandered over to Barf, who seemed to be just as confused as Belch about the fact that you were in Tuff's place. She pulled herself onto the saddle with little effort, then turned to you. "You're gonna wanna pull back on the horns, okay? In three.... Two... Pull!"

You did just as she said, and the Zippleback's wings began to flap, kicking up a small cloud of dust and sand before the beast began to lift off of the ground below. "See? Not so bad!" Ruff grinned. "C'mon, let's see how fast you learn!"

 _Oh Thor, no_.

Barf and Belch weren't very fast compared to a Night Fury, or a Deadly Nadder. But, when you're used to traveling by foot or by boat, it's a drastic change of pace. But with Ruffnut's help, you got the hang of it fairly quick. Within fifteen minutes, you were hurtling through the forest, dodging rocks and trees with ease. She'd always shout which way to turn in advance, and give you tips on how to get Belch to respond better. This turned what you assumed was going to be a crash course into the best adventure you'd had in ages.

Until you came face to face with a tree, and the only command you were given was " _Turn!"_

You did as she said, leaning to the left.

She leaned to the right.

Barf and Belch collided with the tree, and sent the three of you falling to the forest floor.

You laid there for a moment, wind knocked out of your lungs, next to an equally dazed Ruffnut. 

"So... Wanna try that again." She managed, lazily feeling around on the ground beside her in search of her helmet.

"... Yeah. I think we can do it this time."

**.: Tuffnut :.**

You had absolutely no intentions of going to Dragon's Edge with the Dragon Riders. It was a thirty-four hour flight, or a week long boat ride, or in simpler terms, a long ways away from anything. If you decided that you  _didn't_  want to be there, you'd have to send a Terror mail and  _hope_  that someone was willing to come grab you, or you'd get to spend an indefinite amount of time stuck there. 

But Tuffnut was persuasive, and before you knew it all your belongings were shoved in a bag on the back of a Zippleback, and you were seated on a saddle on its neck.

"It's  _awesome_  there. I'm telling you, you're gonna  _love it_." Tuff explained, throwing a few more supplies in your bag before climbing on the dragon himself. 

"I already agreed to come with you, you know. You don't have to keep trying to sell me on it." You smirked, trying to shrug off the dawning realization that you were going to be in incredibly close proximity to him for a  _very_  long time. 

"Oh, I'm not selling you. I'm  _reminding_  you.... Which reminds me, you might wanna hold on to something."

"Like wh-"

The Zippleback took a running leap, and you grabbed on to the first thing you could think of - the rather blond viking sitting in front of you. "Wanna give me some warning next time?!" You shouted, a giggle welling up in your throat. As terrifying as that was, it was  _exciting._  You were riding on the back of a dragon, something you never really considered possible. You were  _flying_.

"Oh. Sorry. Uh... We're gonna be flying now."

"Yeah, that helped a lot. Thanks." You snickered, before realizing you were still clinging to Tuffnut for dear life. You sat back slightly, and loosened your grip on the boy. "Sorry about that, by the way."

"Sorry about what?"

"Oh, uh... Nothing. I guess."

**.: Fishlegs :.**

"Do you have everything you need?"

You checked your bag of supplies for what had to be the seventh time since you met up with Fishlegs. He had agreed to take you to the far side of the island to do some exploring, and ideally map out a few more areas, and the last thing you wanted was to get all the way over there and then realize you wasted both of your guys' time.

"Yep. Looks like we're good." You replied, walking over to Fishlegs, who was already comfortably seated on Meatlug's back.

"Great!" He beamed. "I'm so excited! You're going to love the rest of the island. The natural rock formations are incredible on the north side."

You couldn't help but grin at his enthusiasm. "I can't wait. Only, quick question... I'm not seeing any stirrups or anything. How do I get on Meatlug's back?"

"Oh! That. Just put your foot on her side, and I'll help you up. Gronckles have notoriously thick skin. She won't mind."  He shifted to turn you, legs dangling off the side of the dragon, and extended a hand out towards you.

You placed your foot on her side, noticing that she didn't really seem fazed by your action. You took his hand in yours, and between the two of you, you managed to get yourself into the saddle.

"Okay. That went better than expected."

"I told you it wasn't going to be a problem"

* * *

You honestly couldn't think of a better viking to fly for the first time with, let alone a better dragon. Fishlegs could be high strung from time to time, but when you got him in a situation he had knowledge about, he was one of the most level headed people you'd ever met. He was sure to let you know exactly when he was going to take off, and reminded you to hold on tighter before a turn. He was answering any question you had, whether they were about the geography, or about the fact that Gronkles' wings seem a little too small for flying.

And Meatlug? She was gentle, and precious, and fortunately not too fast and sporadic in her flight patterns. So when the time came to lift off, there was no panic. There wasn't even a single moment of doubt. It was gradual - the way you could feel the ground drifting farther away from yourself.

The smile that had been on your face grew even wider as you watched the dusty ground of the Berk village. 

"Just let me know if you want us to land, or anything." Fishlegs said, directing the dragon onward through the skies.

"I really don't think that's going to be a problem." You placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, steadying yourself atop the fluttering dragon. "This is more amazing than I ever expected."

**.: Dagur The Deranged :.**

“Do you know how to fly this thing?”

“Sure!... Probably... _Why_? Do you have a  _better_  idea?”

Dagur had a point. You were standing ankle deep on water on a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean.  A terror mail had been sent out – a little trick adopted from the very dragon riders attacking you. But that didn't mean help could come on time, and it would be much faster for the two of you to get out of there and come back with reinforcements. Besides, Ryker already made it off with a dragon he freed from one of the cages. Why couldn't you do the same?

So, standing in front of the recently captured, alarmingly docile Changewing, you simply replied “Nah. Just weighing the chances of us dying.”

“Well,” Dagur climbed onto the back of the beast, “less weighing, more escaping, so that  _dying_  thing doesn't happen to  _both of us_.”

“Okay fair poi-”

As he ran by you on the dragon, he threw you onto its back. It took a minute to adjust yourself – the dragon was barreling down a corridor, headed towards the back of the ship, and try as you might it was nearly impossible to get yourself in a stable position.

Finally, you got yourself up. Seated, facing backwards, with your back pressed to Dagur's.

“Great.  _Great!_ This is  _exactly_  what I wanted!” You leaned backwards, hoping that balancing against the berserker would give you some semblance of stability.

“Are you kidding? This is perfect! Here!” He slowed down for just a second, in your race past other dragon hunters, and cages full of dragons you could only  _hope_  the riders would come in to free before it's too late. His purpose? Snagging a crossbow off the back of a man preoccupied with trying to move the Gronckle iron before it was lost to the depths of the sea. He handed it back over his shoulder, and you hesitantly took it. “Keep us covered, okay?!”

“Got it.” You might not have been fully confident in what you were doing, but at least you were given a job. That gave you some weird form of control in this otherwise chaotic situation. And maybe, just  _maybe_  you could prove yourself even  _more_  useful with it.

You glanced back around the copper haired viking, and saw the corridor coming to an end. All that was left at the back of the ship was a storeroom, vacant aside from a few spare buckets and a shovel.

“So, what's the game plan here?!”

“Hold on tight!”

“To  _what?_ I dunno if you noticed, but this thing doesn't exactly come with handles!”

Dagur muttered something under his breath, before reaching back and hooking his arm with yours, leaving your shoulder straining in a reasonably awkward position, but you'd rather deal with discomfort than dying.

Your eyes still peering ahead, you saw the dragon shoot its infamous acid at the wall. The wall, in turn, disintegrated on contact, leaving an opening for the three of you to make an escape.

With a bounding leap, the dragon was out of the boat, as were the two of you. Turning back, you saw that the damage to the ship was worse than you imagined. You also saw that you were, in fact, flying.  _That_  was a first. Not that you could dwell on it.

“WE DID IT! Ohoh, I can't believe it. We actually did it!” Dagur gave your arm an alarmingly aggressive squeeze with his own before freeing it.

“I'm pretty sure that was all you, but I appreciate the sentiment.” You brought your limb back to your side, massaging your joints, begging the gods to get your circulation back soon.

“You got the keys to the cage, so  _some_ of it was you.”

“Yeah, because you told me to and the guy was unconsci-”

“ _ **Would you just accept my thanks**_?!”

**.: Heather :.**

You were still piecing together exactly what happened.

One minute, you were sitting at Heather's campsite while she was out doing  _whatever_ it was she did in her free time. You were busy trying to cook something that resembled real food, because it had been far too long since either of you had a real meal. Things were going good, or as good as being stranded on an island with some rogue dragon rider you just so happened to befriend could go.

The next, you were quite literally thrown on the back of Windshear, draped over her back like a rag doll. You opened your mouth to ask a question, but were interrupted by the dragon's movement as she broke into a gallop and began to move her wings. You scrambled to get into a seated position before she took flight, making it just in time to throw your arms around Heather and pray to the gods that you wouldn't go flying off backwards.

" _What is happening?!_ " You shrieked, burying your face in her back. 

"Is anyone behind us?" She asked, voice muffled by the cowl she wore around her face.

You glanced over your shoulder, and in the distance you could see the form of _somebody_  on the back of an unfamiliar species of dragon. Suddenly, her panic made sense. "Yeah. There's someone. Not close, but they definitely see us, and they're  _definitely_  coming towards us."

" _Great_. _"_ She muttered, making a hairpin turn into a nearby tree line. You withheld a scream, but only barely. With a little warning, you could probably handle this situation, but that clearly wasn't going to be happening anytime soon, so you did the returned your face to its original location - pressed against her back in hopes of not having to see how fast you were going, or how close you were to getting hit in the face with a branch.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's going on?"

"Stay on the lookout, okay?"

"Okay." You replied, hesitantly sitting up straight and turning your eyes back out to the surrounding area. Just to be met with the face of an auburn haired viking boy, quickly catching up in an unexpected flank. "Dragon rider. Left side. Pretty close."

Another hairpin turn. You weren't sure if she had this escape route planned out, or if this was all improvised. If it was the latter, you didn't really  _want_  to know.

"I get that being mysterious is kind of your thing, but this might be easier for me to do my job if I had  _any idea what was going o-"_

Windshear reached the edge of a cliff, and with Heather's urgent prompting, dove downward towards the stream below. Your heart was pounding against your ribs, the gravity and wind filling you with some strange feeling of weightlessness, pulling you backwards. You gripped onto her sides tighter, and squeezed your eyes shut. 

This wasn't how you wanted to go.

**.: Eret :.**

You had flown before.

Once, in your time on Berk.

You had refused the chance to do it again, knowing that if you did, and you wound up becoming attached to the idea of having a dragon, you were never going to be leaving that island. So you accepted that you'd be spending the rest of your day traveling by boat or sea. It was probably safer in the long run anyway.

But safety didn't matter anymore.

The past few days were anything but safe, and how you were all still alive was beyond you.

You were found by the Dragon Riders, or more specifically, Astrid and Hiccup. And somehow things had spiraled into what looked like it could become all out war with Drago and his men.

When you talked about wanting an adventure, you didn't mean  _anything_ like that.

* * *

This situation lead to you spending a lot of time unwillingly airborne with the Dragon Riders. But seated on the back of a baby Scuttleclaw,  _you_  were finally the one in control. You turned to Eret – the poor man looking increasingly unsure of flying one of them himself. They were rambunctious little creatures, with more energy than even the more experienced dragon riders seemed able to handle.

“Hey, you gonna hop on, or what?” You asked, forcing the words out before you could even process what you were saying. Sure, Eret could probably deal with it himself. Eret didn't  _need_  your help, and chances are he didn't want it. But if it could save him an unnecessary struggle, and undue embarrassment, you didn't see what would be so wrong about checking.

He furrowed his brows, staring at you for a good twelve seconds as if he was trying to read you. As if you were joking. In response, you simply motioned with your head for him to walk over. Hesitantly, he did just that.

“These lil guys look like they're going to be a bit of a pain so... If you don't want to have to deal with that, I've got you covered.” You explained, trying to make your offer sound as justified as it felt.

He glanced back over at the other Scuttleclaws, who were chittering and chasing each other with little regard for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were desperately attempting to wrangle one. “I thought you'd never ask.” He chuckled, and pulled himself on to the back of the dragon.

It took a few more minutes for everyone (namely, the twins) to get their hands on one of the babies, but after they were almost comfortably on their back, the group began to make their way out of the dragon sanctuary.

It only took a few steps for the Scuttleclaws to burst into an eager gallop, and only a few more for them to decide to take flight, completely unprompted.

Eret wrapped his arms around your waist, chest pushed flush against your back as you tried to lead the unsteady dragon towards the exist. “Sorry about this!” He managed, squeezing tighter when the baby decided to speed up, as if it knew that it was going to be leaving and couldn't  _wait_  for some new adventure.

“It's fine.” You responded with a slight giggle. “That kind of comes with the territory of sharing a dragon.”

“I suppose that's true. I'm just worried about your ribs, by this point.”

“Eh, that's a risk I'm willing to take.”

You were grateful to be looking dead ahead at the caverns in your path, because your face was burning, and even if somebody couldn't see the blush, they'd likely notice the dopey smile you were desperately trying to fight back.

**.: Viggo Grimborn :.**

You still had belongings back on Berk, ranging from changes of clothes to valuables you were almost  _positive_  the Dragon Hunters could use. You had a copy of Fishlegs' updated book of dragons, and more importantly, a dragon you had befriended (which didn't exactly belong to you) thatyou assured Viggo could be of use. Because with Heather, the only dragon rider of the team out of the picture, you had a role to fill.

Viggo was skeptical about this idea, noting that you could  _easily_  use this opportunity to hide back at Berk, turn them over to Stoick the Vast, or worse. You could use that time to send a Terror Mail to the dragon riders and let them know that Heather was found out before she had a chance to do so herself. But with the right amount of persuading, and a promise that he could be there to monitor you, he eventually caved.

* * *

You arrived at Berk in the dead of night, brought to the area by a ship, then took the rest of the way in a small rowboat manned by another of Viggo's men. Once you stepped off, he immediately turned around, trying to leave minimal evidence than anyone had arrived. It lead you to the realization that if you couldn't manage to get your hands on that dragon, you two might as well be as good as dead.

From there, you lead Viggo up the back pathways to the town, and made your way to your house. You slipped in quietly, drawing no discernible attention. You made your way upstairs to your room, where you gathered the most important items you could think of, along with a few changes of clothes so you wouldn't have to waste any of your hard earned money with the hunters on new ones.

Then, it was off to the stables, where a familiar Woolly Howl perked up at the sound of your arrival. He hopped to his feet, and nearly burst out of his stall. You opened the door and greeted him, hoping that that could be enough to calm him down. After spending a few moments reuniting with your friend, you clambered onto his back. He lacked a saddle – given that he didn't have a rider, he didn't need one – but you would be able to make due.

You lead him forward slowly, trying to avoid waking an other dragons, stopping in front of Viggo to give him a chance to climb on.

“A Woolly Howl?” He furrowed his brow, hopping onto the dragon. “I can't say it's what I was expecting, but I believe he'll serve us well.”

“I promise, he's going to be great.” You replied in a hushed tone, heading out of the stables. “He was found injured a few months back. He's skittish around most people, but if you manage to bond with him he won't leave your side. So, I'm pretty sure he'll do the trick.”

With that, you latched your fingers beneath his fur like scales and pulled up. Without delay, he took off into the air, flying higher at what you'd usually consider an intimidating angle. But you needed to get into some cloud cover, and with Viggo grabbing onto your waist, the quicker the better. Not that you... exactly had a problem with that. He was just extra weight, and the last thing you wanted was to go falling back to earth and be found not only dead, but as a traitor who couldn't even manage to make a functional getaway.

Finally, your forms were obscured by the thick layer of clouds hanging above the island, and you could even out the Woolly Howl's flight pattern.

“I fear there's one thing we've failed to cover.” Viggo began, hands still settled exactly where they were minutes before. “They're going to notice he's missing. What happens then?”

“If you hadn't noticed, the stalls aren't the most secure thing. The doors are low, and if a dragon really wants to, it can just jump out. Seeing as he was just found, not really... adopted by anyone... I don't think anyone would put two and two together. They'll probably just assume he went back into the wild.”

“And if they see through that?”

“Well, not much they'll be able to do then. If they haven't been able to take you guys down yet, I don't think they'll see this missing dragon and instantly think 'Yep! That's where it is! And this is the  _last straw_!'.”

“You thought everything through. Impressive. We need more foresight like that on the team.”

“Well I mean, who needs foresight when you can just solve all your problems by punching them, am I right?”

He chuckled – something you still weren't used to him doing in a non-condescending way. “I believe this is going to be the start of a wonderful friendship."


	7. Getting Your Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a quick reminder that if there are any characters you want me to include in these scenarios, just let me know! I love writing these so far, and I'm more than willing to throw in more characters if there's someone in particular you want to see.

**.: Hiccup :.**

By the time you reached the nameless island with Hiccup, you found yourself more undecided on what species of dragon you wanted than you were when you left. The two of you had spent the better part of the flight discussing it, weighing pros and cons of each of the most appealing species, and trying to rule out entire classes based on your preferences. You finally decided that you'd just go with whatever stood out to you when you met it.

And it turned out, after about half an hour on the island, the thing standing out most to you was the towering Typhoomerang you were staring dead in the eye.

"(Y/N), just... Keep calm." Hiccup said from just a few feet away, keeping some space between him and the dragon, but trying to slowly close the distance between you and him. "He doesn't seem aggressive, so don't do  _anything_  that might startle him."

"Got it." You replied, keeping your voice low, and your breathing as steady as you could manage.

Of all the dragons you and Hiccup had discussed, the one that came up the  _least_  was the Typhoomerang. You figured its massive size would be a hindrance, and didn't touch on the subject since. But in that moment, you began to wonder exactly how bad that would really be. Sure, it might be slightly inconvenient, but that would be a small price to pay for something  _this_  incredible.

"You ever train one of these?" You asked in the same hushed tone, not taking your eyes off of the golden eyed beast before you.

"Sort of. We found one as a baby once, and helped take care of it for a bit." By the sound of his voice, you could only assume Hiccup had made it right behind you. But turning to look could prove fatal. "Why? You... You're not seriously thinking about training..." He paused, before finally stating. "Alright. Let me see what I can do about calming him down. Then, you can introduce yourself."

\- - -

It took about fifteen minutes for Hiccup to put the wild dragon at ease. It wasn't that the Typhoomerang was particularly on edge. In fact, the whole thing could have been over and done with quite a bit quicker if it was a creature of a less intimidating size. But Hiccup decided to take his time, and you didn't complain, figuring that it would be best in the long run for his remaining limbs.

Finally, the dragon lowered its head, nearly level with your own. It was close - two feet away at most, with hot breath blowing on your face. 

"Okay, so far so good... Now just... Slowly,  _slowly_ , reach out your hand."

You did as he said, cautiously bringing your hand up and displaying your open palm towards the snout of the Typhoomerang. 

There was a moment of absolute silence - no movement from the dragon, and certainly not from Hiccup or yourself as you waited to see whether or not your "peace offering" of sorts would be accepted. 

Sure enough, the still was broken by the dragon pressing the horn at the tip of its snout against your skin. 

The tension from the passed minutes melted away, and a smile formed on your face. 

"Hey there." You whispered, carefully bringing you hand from the horn, down onto the Typhoomerang's actual face. It pressed against your hand lightly, earning a chuckle from Hiccup.

"I have to say... I didn't see that one coming."

"Neither did I, honestly." You admitted, turning to face the viking who had helped you make this new friend. "But thank you."

**.: Astrid :.**

"What is  _that_?" You asked, seated on the back of Stormfly as you and Astrid made your way over yet another uninhabited island.

Looking down, you saw a rather unfamiliar dragon. It had four sets of wings, unlike any other you'd come across in your time on Berk, with a strange mottled pattern throughout its body. 

"That? That's a Singetail." Astrid replied, looking back over her shoulder. 

"Singetail." You repeated, as if it might jog your memory, but you had no such luck. "Anything I should know about them?"

"Yeah, probably. If you're counting the fact that they can shoot fire from their mouth, jaws, gills, tail-"

She was interrupted by the alarmed growls of the dragon on the ground below. Stormfly reared back, readying her spines, earning an alarmed "easy!" from Astrid, and a slightly panicked yelp from yourself before you reached out and grabbed the viking girl's shoulders to steady yourself.

"And they're territorial.  _Very_  territorial."

This was the first time since you met her that Astrid sounded genuinely nervous. Which you took to be a pretty bad sign, given that if the one person around there who seemed to be in control of any situation was shying away from the situation then there was the distinct possibility that thing were going to go downhill pretty rapidly.

"How did it even see us?!"

"Their eyes can rotate and... Well, you're probably going to get a close up soon."

"I'm  _what_?"

\- - - 

You understood  _exactly_  why Astrid was nervous about encountering this creature. 

The once lush grass beside you was scorched beyond salvation, and if Astrid wasn't the one standing in front of the dragon you were positive you'd be next. Granted, you weren't too keen on the idea of her being roasted alive either.

The Singetail had begun to mellow out, after several minutes of fighting and desperately trying to set the two of you ablaze, but you still weren't comfortable with the thought of moving, or doing anything that might startle it. It had shown no hesitation when it came to attacking Stormfly (and therefore, indirectly, her rider and yourself), so what was to stop it from lashing out again?

But the blonde girl stood there with a strange sort of confidence - clearly staged, but with the way she was slowly extending a hand to greet the dragon in some last ditch effort to placate it, you almost caught yourself believing it.

" _Astrid_." You hissed, struggling to ignore the sensation of your heart pounding against your ribs. 

" _Shh..."_  She didn't even turn to face you, keeping her eyes on the ground and an open palm facing the Singetail. 

The Singetail was slowly inching closer to her, and you could swear that from where you were standing, her hand was almost shaking. You wanted to do something -  _anything_  - to get her out of that situation. But if you tried to intervene, that could cost both of you your lives. So all you could do was sit, and wait.

Even as it pressed its snout to Astrid's palm, you couldn't calm down. The adrenaline was coursing through your veins, and it would take more than a few passing minutes of watching her bond with this wild dragon to reassure yourself that this wasn't going to end in disaster.

"Hey, (Y/N), you wanna come over and say hi?"

"Uh... Sure?"

You didn't. Not really. But curiosity was getting the best of you, and for some reason you didn't want to come off as a coward. So you walked over, pace hesitant as ever, each step slower than the last. But you pressed on, stopping only for a moment when it would begin to growl and continuing whenever it seemed to calm.

"Good. Now, stop there and reach out your hand like I did." 

You did as she said, your eyes locked on her own as you tried to subdue the overwhelming urge to turn and face the creature approaching you. 

"So far, so good." A small smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth. "See? It's gonna be okay."

"You sure about-"

Before you could even utter the rest of the statement, a scaly nose was pressed against your skin.

"Yeah, I'd say I'm pretty sure."

**.: Snotlout :.**

"Really, (Y/N)?" Snotlout called back over his shoulder once he realized exactly where you were having him take you. " _This_  dragon?"

"Yep." You replied in a matter-of-fact manner.There wasn't a single doubt in your mind that you were making the right choice.

When Hiccup suggested you get a dragon before the trip to Dragon's Edge, you were weighing two possibilities.

The first of which was a Monstrous Nightmare. You and Hookfang had hit it off well, and he seemed to listen to you better than he did Snotlout. Besides, a Nightmare was the first dragon you'd ever flown, and there was a certain sort of comfort there. It wasn't like getting a different dragon and being thrust back into the unknown.

The second option was a Timberjack. Not just any Timberjack, but the one you had met the same day you flew on Hookfang and saved Snotlout from plummeting to his untimely death. You hadn't flown on it. You hadn't even formally introduced yourself to it. But it seemed to understand you, from the silent respect of boundaries the two of you had set up with each other, all the way to it dropped the loud mouthed viking boy on command. 

And the more you thought about it, the more you realized that the latter option seemed a fair bit like it was meant to be.

Which lead to Snotlout reluctantly flying you back to that lush mountainside. Sure, you didn't really  _tell_  him that this is where you two were headed. You didn't want him to panic, because if there's one thing you knew the dragon hated, it was his panicked shrieks. But you enjoyed his company whether you wanted to admit it or not, and felt more comfortable around him than the other vikings at this point. So if anyone was going to take you to try and befriend a giant beast that could easily kill the two of you, you'd want it to be him.

Or Hiccup, who could mitigate the damages, but Hiccup was busy so you were making due.

\- - -

The Timberjack was seated on a rocky outcropping, watching your arrival with an inquisitive gaze. He seemed to recognize you, as he didn't attack the moment he saw you and Snotlout land, and somehow didn't even see the need to lash out against the dark haired boy that had angered him last time. Perhaps, you mused, it had something to do with the other viking being quiet.

You slid yourself off of Hookfang's back, being sure to grab the small basket of fish you'd brought with you. You approached the dragon, stopping a few yards away to dump the basket's contents out on the forest floor. Once you'd given him your offering, you took several steps back, and waited. It was the most you could do.

Fortunately, you didn't have to wait long. 

With one swift motion, the dragon was in front of you, scarfing down the meal. Once finished, it approached you, sniffing the air, inching nearer with every breath.

"That's all I've got for you." You said, putting your hands up in a surrendering motion. 

It looked over at Snotlout, who was still seated on Hookfang, a safe distance away. The Jorgenson followed suit, uttering a quick, "Don't look at me,  _she's_  the one bribing you."

"... Thanks, Snotlout." 

You rolled your eyes, but still couldn't help but giggle.

The dragon looked back at you, and tilted its head. 

Hesitantly, you lowered one of your open hands, and reached it out towards the dragon like you'd seen Hiccup do a couple times before. You braced yourself for the worst - teeth digging into your arm, your hand being completely engulfed in flames... But instead you got a snout softly bumping your hand.

You weren't sure why you even doubted that you and this dragon would get along.

\- - -

"Are you sure you're going to be fine flying that thing to Dragon's Edge?" Snotlout asked, glancing over at you while you climbed onto the dragon's back. "It doesn't look comfortable."

"It should be fine. Once Gobber helps make a saddle that can deal with these spines." You replied, shifting your weight slightly as you tried your hardest to find a suitable position.

"Yeah, well... Hookfang and I always have room for another passenger, if you need us."

**.: Ruffnut :.**

" _What_ did you say the two of you are hunting for?" Astrid asked, putting down the notably overcooked leg of yak she'd been trying to stomach.

"Whispering Death." Ruffnut responded, unceremoniously dumping her portion of the Edge's breakfast into a sack. 

"You know those things  _will_  kill you, right?" Snotlout's word of warning didn't come with even a hint of shock, almost like he'd expected you and the Thorston girl to be doing something reckless. Not that he'd be wrong.

"Hey, I'm just listening to her." You shrugged, picking an apple up off the table and biting into it. "So if we die, you guys know who to blame."

\- - -

"I'm blaming  _you_  for this!" Ruffnut managed between labored breaths, as the two of you ran through the woods as fast as your legs could carry you.

" _Me?!_ " You ducked under a low hanging branch, lungs burning with each breath. "This was  _your_  idea!"

"You should have talked me out of it!" 

"Fair point!"

Really, there was no point in arguing. The two of you were being chased through the forest with a Whispering Death trailing along not far behind. You were almost happy to know you'd completed your mission of finding one, but it wasn't looking like you'd live to tell the tale. And if you and Ruff hadn't gotten so familiar with this stretch of land from your practice with flying Barf and Belch, you'd have already been dead. But you were getting good at dodging the dragon, and had almost lost it on several occasions.

But this thing was fast, and smarter than it looked, and the two of you could only run for so long. You should have brought Barf and Belch with you. You  _knew_  it when you left. But Tuffnut didn't seem too keen on you taking his place as a rider, and was equally displeased with the thought of having to get out of bed. That left you dragon-less, and probably limbless if this carried on how it was looking. 

You bounded over a particularly exposed root, and stuck the landing, just to have your toes get caught on one right after it. You fell forward, shin scraping up against the bark, ankle twisting under the pressure. 

Frantically, you grabbed at something. Anything. Anything that could stop your fall and keep you on your feet.

The closest thing was Ruffnut's arm, and down she went with you.

Laying on the dew covered grass, you found yourself unable to move. The air was knocked out of your chest, your heart was pounding, and your leg... You didn't even want to look at it. If your ankle was as bad as it felt, there was a pretty good chance you wouldn't even be able to get back to running.  Ruffnut, laying beside you, simply groaned in pain and seemed to have reached the same sort of state, and appeared almost resigned to the fact that she'd be dying an untimely death.

You could hear the roar of the dragon growing closer, and scrambled to find something nearby you could use to defend yourself. A branch. A stick. A particularly hefty squirrel. It didn't really matter. You weren't in a position to be picky.

You grabbed onto the first thing your hand hit, and you pulled it over to you.

It was a leather bag - Ruffnut's to be exact.

A good sign in your book. The Thorstons almost always had something deadly in their possession, and a bag without a weapon would be absolutely unheard of. 

But when you reached in, the most deadly object you found was one of Astrid's yak legs. 

You groaned, cursing the universe as a whole for letting you get into such a ridiculous situation, before your wallowing was interrupted by the shadow of a dragon looming over you.

Hit with a fight or flight reaction, you reacted solely on instinct, throwing the meat in your hand at the dragon, and dragging yourself a few feet away before you had to stop, yet again, to try and catch your breath.

"That was  _mine!_ " Ruffnut managed, sitting up with a jolt. You ignored her - mostly just thankful that she still had some fight left in her. Between the two of you, you might be able to work something out.

You turned to face the creature to see how much time you'd bought yourself.

Not much. It had eaten the meat with ease, and was approaching you. Not in a threatening manner, but as if it was looking for more. You reached back into the bag, and found some smaller scraps of meat.

Cautiously, you threw it another. To which it responded the same - eagerly eating it, and turning back to you.

"Well, there goes my breakfast... But at least we're not dead yet."

"Hey, if this works out, at least we can bring this guy back with a 'told you so'."

And that you did.

**.: Tuffnut :.**

When Tuffnut got Hiccup and Fishlegs talking about the most dangerous dragons out there, you should have known right off the bat that things were going to go downhill. Tuffnut never just  _asked questions_. There was almost always some ulterior motive, and that was no exception.

What really confused you was the fact that either of them answered. Their suspicion was present for a few seconds, before being swiftly brushed aside in favor of discussing their personal viewpoints on the matter. They named a lot of different dragons, each with their own distinct reasoning behind them. Some were simply difficult to train due to their nature. Others were downright deadly to try and approach unless you were in very specific circumstances.

The one that Tuffnut seemed to latch onto the most was one that you'd never even heard of before. The Threadtail.

"Woah, woah, wait. Did you say... Poisonous skin?" It was clear from the tone in the blond haired boy's voice that his interest had been piqued in a less-than-safe and scholarly way.

"Yeah! It's fascinating, actually." Fishlegs lunged at the opportunity to discuss the dragon more in depth, oblivious to how terrible of an idea that was. "When it senses danger, it secretes a poison through its skin. But what's really weird is, it's allergic to its _own_ poison. You think it would have adapted to-"

You missed the ending of that statement, courtesy of Tuffnut grabbing onto your arm, and racing out of the room.

\- - -

"Look, a lot of your bad ideas are pretty fun... But I'm having some second thoughts about this one." You said, sitting beside Tuffnut in a secluded thicket, a couple yards away from a wild Threadtail.

"It has  _poisonous skin_ , (Y/N)." Tuff reiterated for what had to be the twelfth time since you'd set out from Dragon's Edge. "Tell me that's not awesome."

"I mean, yeah, it's awesome." You admitted. "But... Okay, fine. Let's just do this. But  _you're_  gonna be the one to touch it and see what happens."

"Yeah,  _obviously_. You think I'm gonna let you have all the fun here?"

"The only fun I'm looking forward to is trying to explain this whole thing to Gothi."

" _Rude._ " Tuff pouted. "You're being very-..."

"Very...  _what_  exactly?"

His eyes flicked over to his left, and yours followed, out towards the clearing where the Threadtail was. And there, looming beside the bushes, was the dragon. It peered its head down, and you could feel its hot breath against the side of your face. You turned your gaze back to Tuffnut, who seemed even pastier than usual.

"Hey, yeah, so we should probably uh...  _Run!_ " He scrambled to his feet, stumbling as he darted off with little direction.

But it was too close for you to follow suit. You didn't want to make it abundantly clear to this creature that you were a toy. Something fun to play with and chase. And if you tried to make a sudden run for it, there was a good chance it could just reach out and grab you before you even made it to your feet.

So you did the best thing you could think of: sit there looking dead ahead, still as a corpse, and hope it would get bored and leave.

It didn't.

It sniffed the air around you, as if it was trying to figure out if you really were dead, or just  _very_  good at playing it. When that didn't seem to satiate its curiosity, you felt its nose press against your temple and... It nudged you.

And again, when that didn't work. Then one final time in your side, causing you to tip over.

You caught yourself, and turned to face the dragon. "Hey... You..." You began, raising a timid hand as a peace offering, like the other dragon riders had. It didn't take any time for it to lean forward and bump your palm with its snout as it had your face just moments before.

"You're kind of sweet for a giant, poison oozing murder-beast, you know that?"

\- - -

"I thought you were following me!" Tuffnut seemed abnormally insulted at your offhand comment about him leaving you for dead. "I  _said_  'run'!"

"That's easy to say when you're not the one being sniffed." You were really just giving him a hard time. He did, after all, come running back to find you when he figured out you were missing. Besides, in his position you probably would have ran too. "Besides, if you didn't run away screaming, I wouldn't have made a new friend."

"Hey, then what does that make  _me_  now?"

**.: Fishlegs :.**

It was pretty clear when you asked Fishlegs if he'd be up for helping you on a project that the two of you were really going to spend the whole time hanging out. It was the best way the two of you could get some time away from the mayhem of hanging out with the other dragon riders (not that you had an issue with them, in moderation).

After you hitched a ride on Meatlug to Berk's easternmost coastline, you simply threw the bag of mapping supplies on a recognizable rock formation, and didn't look back. Your typical hangout was to just meander around talking, while he took note of good sediment deposits to figure out where to get his Gronkle's next meal. It was usually a pretty calm time, with you sharing life stories and laughing in a way you didn't really get to around the others. 

The last thing you expected was an encounter with a  _very_  agitated Sand Wraith.

It might not have been so upset if you didn't step on its tail, but in your defense, it was entirely buried in the sand when you found it, and the only sign you had something was there was the angry growling coming from the ground where you stepped.

Next thing you knew, you were knocked off of your feet, and before you stood a snarling dragon.

Following that was the growls of  _another_  dragon, and within seconds Meatlug stood between you and the wraith. Despite the drastic size difference, the bared teeth and unrestrained roaring did nothing to intimidate the Gronkle.

The two seemed to be at an impasse. When one would roar, the other would try to drown out its cries with their own. When one tried to step forward, the other would lunge just enough to scare the opposition back into their place.

You exchanged a nervous glance with Fishlegs, who quickly knelt down by your side. "I can't believe it. Meatlug must  _really_  like you." Though his tone was hushed, his voice was, perhaps, giddier than you'd ever heard it. "Here, while the Sand Wraith is distracted, let's get you up."

He extended a hand towards you, which you took, and he slowly helped you to your feet. With a steadying hand placed between your shoulder blades, he helped you get your balance on the shifting sands beneath your feet. All the while, Meatlug was trying her hardest to get the wild dragon to back down. And judging by the silence, save for the Gronkle's low, cautious growls, it may have actually worked.

You turned your gaze back to the Sand Wraith, just to find its eyes locked on you, silent but looking reasonably upset by the whole ordeal. As if you decided to personally wrong this dragon.

"I think it wants an apology." Fishlegs whispered.

"Do you really think a wild dragon would understand that?"

"It's worth a try. Just... Sound sincere, and do the hand thing. It's worked for me before."

This was ridiculous. But if it would do anything to get this dragon calmed down completely, you'd give it a go. So reluctantly, you began to speak. "I'm sorry I stepped on your tail. You're just...  _Really_  good at hiding, okay? I didn't mean to." You raised a hand, and extended it out towards the dragon. "See? I'm not trying to hurt you."

The following minutes were tense. Second by second ticked by, as the Sand Wraith inched closer to you. It took a singular step at a time, followed by lingering pauses where it seemed to double check and make sure that you weren't luring it into a trap. Meanwhile you tried to look anywhere but the dragon's eyes, making yourself seem as unassuming and nonthreatening as you could.

At long last, it pressed its nose to your hand. Its skin was rough, grains of sand still lingering on its scales. You could hear an excited gasp from Fishlegs, who quickly rushed over to your side. 

"That really  _did_  work!" He beamed, before turning to the nearby Gronkle. "And good job Meatlug!" He ran from your side to his dragon's, throwing his arms around her as she cooed happily.

You brought your attention back to the Sand Wraith, and realized that maybe, just maybe, the two of you could one day get along that well one day. It would just take a lot of patience.

**.: Heather :.**

Heather had made it very clear that the two of you were only going to be on Dragon's Edge for a short time. And as nice as it was to be back in some semblance of civilization, you were grateful for that. They were all nice enough, but compared to the past two weeks you'd spent around Heather, it just felt loud and stressful. Especially with the absolute mayhem that seemed to unfold whenever the twins showed up.

So between your reluctance to be there, your utter confusion about what was going on, and Heather's repeated warnings of "don't get too attached, we're going to have to leave", you tried to keep a healthy amount of emotional distance from everyone and everything.

But then you and Heather stumbled across an injured Shivertooth one morning, and you were suddenly unable to just detach and pull yourself away from it. And by the concerned look on your friend's face, she wasn't either.

\- - -

"What's it doing here?" Fishlegs asked as he and Hiccup examined its wounds. It was hard to say exactly what caused its problems, but the joint where its left wing connected to its body was damaged. _Severely_. You could hardly stomach looking at it for more than a few seconds of the time, knowing every time you saw it that this poor thing might not be able to fly again. which begged the question - what would happen to it?

"I have no idea. They're not even native to these parts. I..." Hiccup replied with a furrowed brow. "...Do you think it might have been trying to escape from the Dragon Hunters?"

There was a moment of silence following Hiccup's comment - something that made you think that was the exact thing everyone else was wondering.

"If it did, then they've got to be close by." Astrid responded, right down to business as usual. "There's no way it flew too far on its own."

"Astrid's right." Hiccup's tone changed, signs of the doting concern about the dragon slipping away. "We've got to go make sure the perimeter is secured. Heather, (Y/N), you stay here with the dragon. It's inland enough. You should be safe. Just... We need someone here if something goes wrong."

Heather's lips twisted into a bit of a frown. "I've dealt with the hunters before. I can help."

"I know you can. Which is why we need you here. We need people who can hold their own."

She gave a disgruntled sigh. "Fine. We'll make sure nothing happens."

\- - -

You and Heather sat by the Shivertooth. She was working on trying to clean its wounds, much to the creature's dismay. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to have much fight left in it. Its head was laying in your lap as you stroked its snout and scratched its chin, trying to soothe it despite its occasional roars of pain. 

"Shh. You gotta stay quiet." You weren't sure why you were talking to it. You weren't even sure if it could understand you. That was probably something the other dragons picked up on after spending more time around people. But there was really no telling how long it was stuck with the hunters. "Hey, you've dealt with the dragon hunters a lot, right?"

"Depends what you mean 'dealt with'." Heather didn't turn to face you, making you wonder if you hit a nerve.

"I mean like... You've fought them a fair bit. You know a little about them... Do you know what they'd want with a Shivertooth? It's not like they can produce Gronkle iron, and I haven't heard about them being as valuable as Zipplebacks so..."

"I don't know." She admitted, finally glancing over at you. "But if there's not a lot of them here, they might just try and sell it."

You pursed your lips, looking down at the gentle beast, and knew in that exact moment that you'd do anything to keep them from getting their hands on it again. Even if that meant you'd have to stay on Dragon's Edge long enough for it to recover.

**.: Dagur :.**

You couldn't do anything without the Changewing following you. 

From your brief time aboard another Dragon Hunter ship, to your arrival back at the base, you had been followed incessantly by the dragon. Even when you were simply standing around, minding your own business, it would be resting its head on your shoulder or looking for one chance or another to snuggle up next to you. It was cute, you had to admit, but when it came down to it, this wasn't  _your_  dragon. He was going to have to go back into the hands of the hunters who initially captured him. He was still their property. You and Dagur just "borrowed" him to make a quick escape.

And Dagur? Dagur was irate. _He_  was the one who rode the dragon. The one who thought to take it in the first place. But somewhere along the lines it latched onto  _you_. The only logical explanation you could come up with was that it had something to do with you being less...  _Abrasive_. That, and you may or may not have felt bad for it and slipped it a little extra dinner.

"So, (Y/N)..." Dagur began, sitting himself beside the fire that you and the Changewing were trying to warm yourselves with. In the glow, you could see the frown plastered on his face. "What's your secret?"

"My what?"

"Your secret. Dragons don't just...  _latch on_  to people like that."

You shrugged. "Honestly, I've been trying to figure that out myself. But if I don't get it to leave me alone soon, I feel like Viggo's going to kill me."

"Nah, you don't have to worry about Viggo. Now, Ryker.  _He's_  the one you should look out for."

"Wow, yeah that's... Really reassuring. Thanks, Dagur." Your lips pulled themselves into a tight frown as you returned your gaze to the crackling flames. 

"Don't mention it."

There was a pause - a long, drawn out moment of silence that you desperately wanted to end. But there wasn't anything that could be said. You couldn't tell him that you really wanted to keep the dragon. You couldn't tell him that, if it wasn't for him, you'd have already taken the Changewing and run off - it wasn't like you were exactly bound to the dragon hunting business. So you chose to keep your mouth shut as you listed off topic after topic you could bring up, just to scratch them off the list of possibilities and move on to another.

"Y'know, they might let you keep it." 

Dagur's tone seemed... Calm. _Sincere_. Nothing like you were expecting.

"What makes you say that?" You tried your hardest to sound curious, but detached. An odd thing to try and emulate, and you weren't sure how convincing you were. 

"Because, they can only fight the dragon riders from the ground. But with  _this_?" He chuckled, gesturing to the beast laying beside you. "Ohoh, can you _imagine_!?"

It was a fair point, but it raised a question. "I mean, that makes sense. But don't you think if they wanted a dragon rider on out side they'd have already gotten one? There's enough dragons around here. Someone could train  _something_."

"That takes time. Trust me, I've dealt with  _Hiccup_  and the rest of them long enough..." Even just the mention of the Haddock boy was enough to turn Dagur's smile back into the scowl you'd grown familiar with. "But this Changewing... It already trusts us. Or,  _you,_  I guess."

"Think I should ask them?"

"If you need any help uh...  _Persuading_ them. Let me know."

**.: Eret :.**

You had been on Berk for several days, and the stress of the Drago situation was only  _just_  beginning to dissipate and be replaced by some low level dread about if or when he'd resurface. But for the most part, people seemed to be readjusting. Hiccup was slowly settling into the role of Chief, however reluctantly, with Astrid by his side. Meanwhile Eret had been given Stoick's old dragon, and the two were still going through an awkward bonding stage.

And you? You'd somehow become the adoptive mother of the Scuttleclaw you'd flown on.

Sure, that might have something to do with the fact that it was irresistibly cute, with a playful demeanor you could only compare to that of a puppy, and you were doting on it night and day. But you weren't going to take full responsibility for the situation. If anything, you could be blaming the dragon for this. It had no right to be that adorable. This whole situation was rigged in its favor and you weren't going to stand for that.

Who were you kidding? You absolutely  _were_  standing for it. You had no choice in the matter.

But you hadn't really considered it "Your Dragon". Not in the way the others had their dragons. It wasn't until Eret approached you one afternoon while you were feeding it that you realized you might as well just consider the Scuttleclaw your own.

"Still?" Was the only word out of the former Trapper's mouth when he saw you tossing a raw fish to the baby dragon. You glanced over at him, noting the unmistakable grin working its way onto his face.

"I didn't choose this." You sounded defensive, but the smile on your face made it pretty clear you were at least half-joking.

"Right. So this is a hostage situation now, is it?" He crossed his arms, watching on in amusement as you tossed another fish and the Scuttleclaw went rushing towards it.

"It is. I'm being held against my will." You replied with feigned terror. "Please, send help."

"Is that so? Well, let's see what the accused has to say." He turned his attention over to the dragon, who looked up at him and, without prompting, uttered an inquisitive coo. "Sorry, doesn't seem guilty to me."

You gave a pout, and turned to the Scuttleclaw. "See if you get anymore extra fish from me."

Eret laughed.

It was the first  _genuine_  laugh you'd heard from the man since you met him, and you couldn't help but grin. 

"You are going to keep it though, right?" He asked, his tone making you wonder if he was worried you might not.

"Yeah." You sighed. "I wasn't sure at first but... I think we're stuck with each other."

He chuckled a bit. "I'd say the two of you are a perfect match."

"Why's that?"

"You've both been nothing but a pain since I've met you."

You gasped in exaggerated offense. "You don't mean that."

"Don't I?"

You wondered for a second, but the smile that hadn't left his face answered the question for you.

**.: Viggo :.**

"So, I believe you still have a story to share with me?"

Viggo's question was not unprompted. While the two of you were flying back to the Dragon Hunter's base, you had agreed to tell him a bit more about the dragon you'd picked up once you were on solid land, and able to talk more easily without the sound of wind roaring in your ears. And as you two strolled through the base side by side, on the way to Ryker to share the news of a successful retrieval, it only made sense to finally discuss it with him.

"I believe so." You replied, looking up at the man. "Where do you want me to begin?"

"Perhaps with where he was found. From my understanding, Woolly Howls aren't native to Berk."

"They aren't." You weren't the least bit surprised that he knew that off the top of his head. What's a businessman if he doesn't know his product? Though, it still felt a fair bit gross to refer to dragons as just... Property. "He was found a little ways up north, and his injuries were too extensive to treat on the spot, so they brought him back to the village."

"As opposed to their other base... What is it that they call it, again?"

"Dragon's Edge. It was a longer trip back to the there, and while transporting dragons on your ships isn't a problem, Berk's ships? Totally different story."

"I could only imagine." He chuckled, finally turning his gaze down towards you. "And these injuries he sustained... They didn't seem to have any effect on his flying, from what I could tell. Do you think there might be any long-term complications?"

You pursed your lips, thinking back to the extent of the damage. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Flying was the main concern. His wings were pretty messed up, but clearly that's not an issue. The only other thing that could be a potential setback is the damage that was done to his leg."

"Which was?"

"We're not entirely sure what caused it. Looked like he was in a fight. There was some damage to his tendons on his back left leg. So walking or running for long periods of time might be an issue for a while. But as long as he stays airborne? Should be smooth sailing."

You noticed the corners of his lips curl into a small smile. "(Y/N), I have to say, you never cease to impress me."

His remark caught you off guard, and your reply came with a heated face and a stammered, "Oh. Well, thanks. That means a lot coming from you." The last part of that statement slipped out before you could even register what you were saying, and you desperately hoped that your flustered expression would go unnoticed. But with a man like Viggo, few things did.

"You flatter me." The tone in his voice gave little away, sounding smooth and confident as ever. Perhaps it was masking yet  _another_  chuckle, but you couldn't bring yourself to look back up at him. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways.

You felt something in your chest sink, before the realization hit that you had already arrived outside your tent. The walk usually felt longer than that. Much longer. 

"I'll see you in the morning, my dear."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wasn't too sure what I wanted to do about Viggo's scenario, seeing as the last scenario had you actually getting the dragon. So I figured with this one I'd just shine some more light on the poor thing's backstory and help the plot take shape a little more. Hope nobody minded that! Anyway. Next update should be pretty great for all of them. Lots of Feelings. So keep an eye out for that.


	8. Introducing: Throk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd start with an apology but let's be real, by this point we all know I'm absolutely terrible at updating regularly. But, if I can promise you anything, it's that I'll definitely always update eventually. Especially considering the to-do list is looking pretty rad. I've got some more character introduction chapters to work on next. In order, by request: Mala, Ryker, Krogan, and Atali. Then I'm doing one for Johann because I've loved that asshole since Riders of Berk and him being a villain only made him better. After that, I promise I'll be back to regular updates. I appreciate everyone's patience.

**.: How You Met :.**

Your eyelids were heavy when you woke, struggling to open and falling shut the moment the sunlight began to burn your ill-adjusted eyes. Your head was humming with an unfamiliar fog, not the usual grogginess you were met with in the morning. That was a fleeting state. One you could shake relatively easy in comparison to this. But what was…  _this_?

You searched your brain for any shred of a memory, no matter how small, in an effort to piece together what could be causing the clouded mind and… Aching joints? Not something you noticed right off the bat, but as you were being eased into consciousness, new things were beginning to come to light.

Was this a head injury? Maybe you fell off your dragon. Maybe you never even made it to your dragon, and went plummeting off one of the sprawling walkways on the base at Dragon’s Edge. Or maybe you were sick, getting over some sort of flu with sore bones and a high fever. Because whatever was going on was clearly abnormal, especially because you could have sworn you and the other riders showed up at some strange island. That could have been a dream though. You’d all spent quite a bit of time traveling, and it wouldn’t be the first time your mind had decided that it would keep you just as busy while you were unconscious as you were when you were awake.

You shook the thoughts. They existed only in the realm of “what ifs” and possibilities. What you needed to focus on were the tangible facts of the situation.

Facts. Like the fact that of all the various aches and pains you were experiencing, your right shoulder had it the worst. So if you fell, it probably took the brunt of it, hopefully providing some sort of buffer before your head hit the ground. You went to roll it a bit, making sure the muscles weren’t too stiff, just to find another fact that made your heart freeze within your chest.

Your hands were bound. Tied tight behind your back.

You forced your eyes open, past the searing pain of the bright midday sun, and tried to take in your surroundings.

To your left sat Hiccup, struggling against his binds only briefly before turning his attention outwards. His eyes flitted about, piecing together the situation in the same way he always did. The gears in his head never seemed to stop turning, but to instantly panic and start plotting an escape didn’t seem like the most fitting thing to do at the moment. So if that’s what he was planning, you’d definitely have to talk him out of it. Unless you were in immediate danger, you should probably wait to get your bearings before you ran.

To your right was Snotlout, in a similar situation but based on his more aggressive attempts to free himself you could only guess he was doing the worst out of the four of you.

You couldn’t see how the others were doing. You heard them muttering, felt some shifting behind you, but aside from that their conditions were a mystery. Perhaps that was for the best. That meant less distractions. You knew they were alive, and that’s all you needed to know about them at the moment.

You turned your eyes outward, away from your friends and towards the greater unknown, to assess the situation further.

Before you stood a group of people, clad in black. Their faces were mostly obscured, but what you could see of their expression gave you the distinct feeling that you’d all done something gravely wrong. But what could you have possibl-  _oh_.

The memories came flooding back with the last of your consciousness.

You definitely arrived on an island - the one that Hiccup was trying to reach before Viggo did. On your way in, you saw a town, but they suggested you land in the woods outside of it despite your recommendations. And the last thing you remember was wandering through the strange forest, trying to figure out what the strange rustling was in the trees above.

An ambush.

_You were ambushed_.

Your blood began to race. The panic you’d been warding off now surging back at full force.

“Who are these guys?” Snotlout asked, to nobody in particular.

“And what are they feeding our dragons?” Fishlegs added, drawing your attention to the fact that you’d yet to see your dragon since you woke up.

Glancing around for a moment, you managed to locate (D/N), sitting beside Toothless and Hookfang, happily munching on some unfamiliar fruit. Your lips twisted into an immediate frown. Sure, they looked happy, but the thought of a stranger feeding your dragon something that you knew nothing about was vaguely upsetting.

“I don’t know,” Hiccup began, getting to his feet, “but I think we’re about to find out.”

The crowd parted, revealing a tall, copper haired man approaching your group. His stride was confident, and his expression one of unwavering stoicism. Upon reaching your group, he circled you, the way a hunter would size up his prey.

He stopped in front of Hiccup, placing a firm hand on the boy’s head. “I, am Throk.” He stated plain as day, before pushing the viking to his knees effortlessly.

You looked up at him, hoping you could size him up. But when he looked back, he seemed just as unflinching and stern as ever. So you did the only thing you could think to do. Break the silence. “Throk, huh? Nice to meet you.”

He furrowed his brow, apparently not finding even the slightest bit of amusement in your comment. Instead, he turned on his heel, placing a hand to his chest and announcing, “All hail Mala! Queen Defender of the Wing!”

Oh no.

_Oh no._

**.: Seeing Them Again :.**

The time between your capture, and you standing at the foot of an erupting volcano was a bit of a haze. Not a blur, like most of your adventures, filled with chaos that leaves you replaying the events of the day over and over while you lay awake in bed. A  _haze_ , where it crept by slowly, each hour bleeding into the next. Occasionally the events would take a turn ( _never_ the one you wanted, granted), but watching Hiccup desperately try and defend your group to no avail while your hands were quite literally tied had to be one of the worst ways you'd spent your time since joining up with the dragon riders. And that was saying something, considering the amount of times people had tried to kill you.

You turned your attention from the evening sky, where plumes of ash and smoke rose, to Throk. He was standing beside you, steely gaze and straight faced. But you could see him swallow hard, and the white knuckled grip on his axe betrayed him.

“So, any idea where we should start?” You asked, breaking the silence that had fallen, not just over you two but the entire rag tag team sent to stop the lava flow.

“It is like Mala said. The Great Protector never let the lava get this far. We have no experience dealing with this situation.” Throk replied, voice wavering for just a second.

“Really? Your ancestors didn't even leave a backup guide for things like this?”

Your comment earned you an icy glare from the man, and you threw your hands up in a surrendering motion. “Hey, I'm not saying that's on you. I'm just saying if we get out of this alive, that's something you might want to think about.”

“I will keep it in mind.” He turned his attention back to the molten rock glowing in the distance, but for a moment you could have sworn you saw the corner of his mouth curl upward.

“Y'know, that aside... You know the island better than we do. Heather might have dealt with lava, but you know the lay of the land. Just tell us what areas we should focus on protecting, and what areas we might be able to risk losing, and we can go from there.”

There was a moment of silence, speckled by the sound of trees cracking and falling miles away.

“One group should start further uphill and try and control it there. Another group should stay and start blocking the path.” He motioned to one area of the walkway in particular – a section towards the base of the volcano that had been carved into the rocky slope, with stone walls on either side of it.

“Right. Because gravity. That's the most high risk area.”

He gave a nod before turning to Heather. “You have dealt with lava?”

“Not much, but some.” She conceded. “What we need is to start digging. Making a trench as wide and deep as we can.”

“So that's probably what we can do uphill.” You mused. “Think the twins would be up for helping? I feel like they wouldn't mind being on the front lines here.”

“I can ask them.”

“No offense, but I think firmly telling them might get more done. Considering what we're working with.”

“Good point.”

“I'll stay here. (D/N) and I can work on moving rocks to block the path.” You gestured to your Monstrous Nightmare, who was curled up nearby with half open eyes, seemingly indifferent to the chaos.

"I'll work alongside you." Throk's voice caught you by surprise. "If anything happens to the village, I would like to be there."

"That's fine by me. Heather, where are you gonna be?"

"I'm staying with the twins. I can trust you two. Them? Not so much."

**.: Hanging Out :.**

The aftermath was calm.

It always was.

But it wasn't bittersweet, as endings often were. Even when you won you always felt as if things were going to be worse next time. And maybe they were - the other riders hadn't returned with news about how the encounter with the Dragon Hunters went. But your part of the mission went well, despite it being a close call. Now, the only thing on your agenda was to wait.

That, and deliver a cup of water to Throk, who seemed just as parched from the heat and sweat as the rest of you even if he wouldn't admit it.

He was seated, back against a vacant hut, watching the horizon for any sign of the queen and other riders returning.

"How are you holding up?"

He jumped slightly at your voice. "I'm fine. It's the others that I'm worried about."

You sat down beside him and followed his gaze out to the sprawling sea and the sun glistening off the waves. "They'll be fine. Some of them might seem kind of incompetent, but when there's any life on the line, you'd be surprised what they can get done."

"I don't doubt them. Not after what you and your friends have done." He explained, the reminder of the last few hours events filling you with an odd sense of pride.

"But you don't doubt the hunters either."

"Exactly."

You pursed your lips, not entirely sure what to say to that. He had a point. The hunters were ruthless, and Viggo was crafty. Hiccup could keep up with their leader, and for combat your friends did have the aerial advantage. But there was always the slim chance that...

"Right, by the way." You began, shaking the thoughts. "Water." You extended the clay cup, taking note of the patterns painted on the side - dragons and clouds, about what you'd expect.

He cocked an eyebrow, but reached and took the drink from your hands. "You didn't need to-"

"If Heather and I were dehydrated from that, there's no way you weren't."

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but you quickly cut him off. "We were on dragons. You were physically moving boulders. Drink up."

He smiled.

It was a slightly sheepish smile, with a stifled chuckle, but a smile nonetheless.

And you thought, for a fleeting moment in spite of yourself, that was a sight you could get used to.

**.: First Time Flying :.**

Most of the other Dragon Riders left at the same time – right after Snotlout saw the challenge he would have to face if he were to become king of Caldera Cay. But a few of you, the sensible ones in your opinion, decided to stay behind and rest. None of you had slept more than an hour in the two days since you arrived, and flying in that condition was a death wish. Especially if the hunters were as agitated at this loss as you expected them to be.

So you, Astrid, Fishlegs and Heather all stayed behind to recuperate before charging back into action.

A gracious woman offered the four of you lodging in her hut, which you eagerly accepted. She kept to herself, more or less, leaving your small group to chat among yourselves, and properly catch up well into the night.

It's hard to say when exactly you fell asleep – likely before the others, given that you sat up wide awake when the first rosy hues of sunrise crept into the sky.

Your limbs were still sore as you stretched them, but you got to your feet and wandered out of the house regardless, into the crisp morning air.

You made your way through the village until you found your dragon, curled up beside a pile of the strange fruit she'd been binging on since you'd arrived.

After the past couple days, a peaceful early morning flight seemed like just what the doctor ordered.

“You're leaving early?”

You had to choke back a scream at the sudden sound of a man's voice. Whipping around on your heel, you saw Throk standing a few feet away. “Can you  _please_ make more noise next time? I didn't think anyone else was up.”

A smile. “Neither did I. But you didn't answer my question.”

“I'm not leaving yet. I just thought I'd take a quick flight around the island to wake myself up more.” You explained, adjusting (D/N)'s saddle. “You're welcome to tag along if you'd like.”

He gave you a confused look, and you realized your error pretty quickly. “Right. You uh. Don't have a dragon... So you've never flown before?”

“Never.”

“Do you wanna?”

\- - -

His grip was tight on the saddle behind you as your dragon made a running start, and leaped into the air. You kept the ascent slow and steady, until the wooden planks making up the huts in the village blurred into one solid wall. From there, you set your course towards the sea, where the faint mist above the water would  _certainly_ wake you up.

“How you doing back there?” You asked over your shoulder. Throk could definitely handle such a mundane flight, but you were intrigued by the man, and  _this_  was the perfect opportunity to get to know him a little better. Besides, if the small talk ended up being awkward and generally terrible, you'd probably never have to see him again.

“This isn't so bad.” He replied, breath a little closer to your neck than you expected.

“Is that a challenge?”

“It wasn't meant to be.” Each word he spoke was hot against your skin. “But if you wish to take it as one...”

“Alright, then hang on.” You smiled, and wrapped your hand around your dragon's horns. You pulled upwards, climbing higher into the sky, and once you felt one of his arms wrapped around your waist to keep himself steady, you guided your dragon down.

It was a steep fall, and you could feel Throk's heart pounding against your back. A little pressure on (D/N)'s horns, and she rose again, almost straight into the air, before leaning back into a loop. Your grip was tight on your dragon, fingers sore from the ridges in her horns, thighs aching from how hard they were clamping onto the saddle.

But it was worth it, you decided, when you could hear a faint laugh from behind you

**.: Getting Your Dragon :.**

The flight you went on with Throk was a shocking enough start to your day to the point that him following it up by joining you and your friends for breakfast felt like the most natural progression.

Astrid was skipping the meal to double check supplies for the trip back to Dragon's Edge, while Fishlegs and Heather were caught up in some sort of discussion about a Razorwhip's scales. The woman you were staying with had cooked the food then scurried out of the house muttering something about “beating Hilgrund to the good mead”.

You didn't mind that Throk had become your default conversation partner. The silence that had marked your initial interactions with him was slowly fading, and you were beginning to think he was actually warming up to you. At least, that's the impression you got between the smiles and the questions he was asking.

The conversation meandered from favorite foods, to experiences with the dragon hunters, to the inevitable “How did you befriend your dragon?”

“I'm gonna warn you in advance,” you said between bites, “it's not nearly as interesting as you think.”

“I am still interested.” He insisted.

“Monstrous Nightmares are a pretty common species around Berk. So, when Hiccup and Astrid decided it was time to find a dragon for me, they were one of the first species we ran into.” You explained. “I wasn't really sure whether or not they'd be a fit for me, so I tried to go find other kinds that might be a better match.”

“But you didn't.”

“Nope.” You said with a giggle. “Not at all. Kind of hard to when an overgrown lizard who can set itself on fire decides it wants to be your new best friend and follows you around the entire island.”

He raised his brows at your remark. “So...  _She_  chose  _you_.”

You shrugged. “Pretty much. That's usually how it goes. You can't force a bond with a dragon. They-”

“Alright guys!” Astrid shouted, swinging open the door to the house. “You ready to get going?”

You sighed. It wasn't like you had much of a choice.

Besides, chances were you'd be back soon.


End file.
